630 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



Oenothera Lamarckiana, Origin of. By Hugo de Vries (Bot. 

 Gaz. Ivii. pp. 345-361, May 1914 ; 3 plates). — This article is in answer 

 to a series of papers by B. M. Davis in which it was suggested that 

 the mutabihty of this plant might be the result of previous crosses. 

 Professor De Vries gives in this paper an historical investigation of the 

 specimens found in the herbaria of Lamarck, Pourret, and Michaux. 

 Oe. Lamarckiana appears to be still the same plant as those repre- 

 sented in these herbaria. It occurs without locality in Michaux's 

 flora of the Eastern United States. It is also well established in a 

 wild state in England, and it is from this wild species that the present 

 cultivated strains have in all probability been derived. 



These wild English plants may have arisen from seeds collected 

 by Michaux or others of his time. — G. F. S. E. 



Oncidium coneolor and 0, Ottonis, By R. Schlechter {Orchis, 

 vol. viii. pp. 57-61 ; 2 plates). — Oncidium Ottonis is a native of South 

 Brazil, and is frequently mistaken for 0. coneolor. The accompanying 

 plates indicate many of the points of difference. The pseudo-bulbs 

 of coneolor are larger than those of Ottonis ; coneolor has greenish- 

 yellow sepals ; the sepals of Ottonis are waved and streaked with purple. 

 The petals are slightly waved in coneolor, and strongly waved in 

 Ottonis. The ears of the pillar are yellow in Ottonis and purple in 

 coneolor.— S. E. W. 



Oncidium patulum. By R. Schlechter {Orchis, vol. viii. pp. 18, 

 19 ; I col. plate). — This epiphyte was discovered in a collection of 

 orchids from Brazil. It has a compact habit, with wedge-shaped 

 pseudo-bulbs, which are barely visible. The dark-green leaf terminates 

 in a short point. The flower stem is 5 to 7 inches long and hangs down. 

 It is green, with purple spots, and bears 20 to 30 yellow flowers with 

 brown marks. The flowers resemble those of 0. Cavendishianum, 

 but are smaller. These orchids require an abundant supply of water 

 during their period of growth, but must be kept dry when at rest. 



S. E. W. 



Onion Insects. By H. T. Fernald and A. 1. Bourne {Jour. 

 Econ. Entom. vii. pp. 196-200). — Thrips tabaci Linde causes consider- 

 able damage to onions by sucking the sap from the leaves. Clean 

 cultivation appears to offer the best means of keeping the pest in check, 

 especially as it hibernates among grass as a perfect insect. 



Onion maggots were found extremely difficult to deal with, and no 

 entirely satisfactory method has been devised. A full account of the 

 experiments appears in U.S.A. Exp. Stn., Mass., 2^th Ann. Rept. 



F. J. C. 



Orchid, Sowing of Seed with Endophytic Fungi. By G. T. 



Grignan {Rev. Hort. July 16, 1914, pp. 318-20 ; i ill.). — Abstract of 

 Dr. Jean Gratiot's notes re experimental sowings of seeds of orchids 



