PL. CCLXXI. 
ODONTOGLOSSUM x CLAESIANUM l. lind. 
M. F. CLAES’ ODONTOGLOSSUM. 
ODONTOGLOSSUM. Perigonii explanati foliola angusta acuminata libéra, exteriora et interiora aequalia. 
Labellum unguiculatum, cum gynostematis basi continuum ecalcaratum indivisum, lamina patente basi cristata. 
Gynostema erectum membranaceo-marginatum apice utrinque alatum. Anthera bilocularis. Pollinia duo solida, caudi- 
cula lineari, glandula squamata. 
Herbae americanae tropicae, epiphyticae, pseudobulbiferae ; foliis ligulatis, scapo terminali vaginato, floribus 
speciosis. 
Kunth, in Humb. et Bonpl. Nov. Gen. et Sp., I, 351. — Endl., Gen. Plant., p. 1466. 
Odontoglossum Claesianum, forsan hybridum naturale Od. crispi cum Od. luteo-purpureo vel Od. odorato in 
statione earum specierum ab insectis productum. 
In Nova Granata viator Fl. Claes legit. 
e présent to-day to our readers one of the most remarkable Odontoglots 
which flowered at the end of last year in the houses of L’Horticulture 
Internationale, of Brussels, and which was exhibited at a meeting of 
L’Orchidéenne on the iôth of December last, when it was unanimously awarded 
a First-class Certificate of Merit. 
This new plant is certainly very difficult of classification. It belongs to a 
group which we agréé to call f natural hybrids, ” and is the resuit of the 
operations of insects in Crossing O. crispum with some other species, most 
probably O. luteo-purpureum or O. odoratum. 
We do not attempt to unravel its exact parentage, but content ourselves with 
bringing before the eyes of our readers the exact reproduction of its splendid 
inflorescence, convinced that it will be the better course, and that its beauty will 
recommend it sufficiently. In ascribing to it a new name, we do not prétend to 
assign to it the rank of a true species, which it, undoubtly, is not. We only 
intend by this simple appellation to designate a new form, of uncertain origin, 
which it would be difficult to denominate quite correctly now. 
This beautiful novelty is dedicated to M. F. Claes, landscape-gardener and 
collector of L’Horticulture Internationale, who discovered it during a mission 
undertaken for that establishment, in 1890, in New Granada. O. Claesianum , 
therefore, cornes from the same country as the majority of the species of Odonto¬ 
glossum, and particularly the celebrated O. Alexandrae, which, after having 
been so long the delight of ail cultivators and lovers of beautiful flowers, is now 
on the point of disappearing, according to the account of this same traveller. 
The narrative of this journey, published in a recent number of the Journal 
des Orchidées , is interesting from this point of view. We cite a few extracts, to 
