174 



PAXTON'S FLOWER GARDEN. 



to them in order that their heavy flowers may be supported. The species now figured, which gives 

 a good idea of the habit of many of them, is perfectly distinguished by its short crisp petals, and its 



singular lip, the callosities upon which are not easy to represent 

 either by words or a drawing. In form the lip represents a long 

 trowel, curved inwards at the edge, and backwards at the point ; 

 near its base is planted a pale yellow plate, free at the edges, 

 if (r\\^ yw^-\j\ /r^ extended in the middle into three tongue-like yellow pro- 



J^rr=2^ cesses (a section of it in front has the appearance of fig. a); near 



B the base the section is like fig. b, in consequence of the yellow 



pL-ite above described becoming more free from the lip. Towards the base of the three tongues 

 rises on either side a small purplish tubercle; two others stand on the lip at its base; and between 

 the two pairs of tubercles the three tongues rise up into a white triple tooth. 



The following memoranda will serve to guide both botanists and collectors to a know- 

 ledge of this curious section of Oncidium. 



ONCIDIA MICEOCHILA— Cvrtochilum h.b.k. l p . 210. 



1 . 0. trifurcatum Lindl. in Ann. Nat. Hist., vol. xv.; sepalis lateralibus unguiculatis spathulato- 

 obovatis planis dorsali unguiculato rotundato crispo duplb breviori, petalis oblongis crispis dorsali 

 minoribus, labello unguiculato tripartito laciniis linearibus truncatis lateralibus canaliculatis, crista 

 trilamellata, columna tetraptera alis superioribus linearibus carnosis apice abrupte recurvis inferioribus 

 rotundatis tenuioribus, clinandrii dorso in dente antherifero producto, rostello meinbranaceo bifido. 

 — Peru (Hartweg). — I have only seen three flowers of this. They are three inches in diameter; 

 the lateral sepals are whole-coloured, the dorsal and the petals are bordered with yellow (?). It 

 stands near 0. serratum. 



2. 0. serratum Linctt. Sert. OrcJi., sub t. 48; supra, vol. i., p. 20, fig. 15; pseudobulbis 

 ovalibus diphyllis, foliis erectis rigidis acutis basi angustatis canaliculatis panicula pauciflora bre- 

 vioribus, sepalis serrato-crispatis dorsali reniformi lateralibus multo longioribus obovatis patent] ssimis, 

 petalis ovatis acutis serrato-crispatis conniventibus, labello multo minore hastato : laciniis acutis 

 intermedia lineari obtusa medio constricta lateralibus acuminatis 3-plb minoribus, (crista depressa 

 crenulata), columna) alis subulatis ascendentibus. — Peru. — This singular plant has large flowers, 

 brown, oblong, smooth, terete pseudobulbs, each having two broad sword-shaped leaves at the point, 

 and several others below the pseudobulbs. The flower-stem is nine feet long, partly twining, with 

 five or six lateral branches, each carrying from four to six flowers near the extremity. These flowers 

 are said to be cinnamon-brown in Peru, with bright yellow tips to the upper divisions. In the fresh 

 flower they have the colour of Oncidium luridum, only brig] iter; but the yellow on the upper half of 

 the delicately fringed and crisped petals is clear and brilliant, It flowered with M. Pescatore at Paris; 



