Monograph of Odontoglossum/tranche2

by James Bateman

Plate VI

Odontoglossum pendulum.

Odontoglossum pendulum.

Plate VI.

ODONTOGLOSSUM PENDULUM.

PENDENT-FLOWERED ODONTOGLOSSUM.

O. (Trymenium) pseudobulbis subrotundis compressis lævibus diphyllis, foliis oblongo-ligulatis obtusis racemo pendulo multifloro paulo brevioribus, sepalis oblongis obtusis petalisque conformibus subæqualibus, labello unguiculato reniformi basi excavato marginibus callosis, clinandrii alis lateralibus subtruncatis dorsalique rotundato denticulatis.

Odontoglossum citrosmum, Lindl. Bot. Reg. 1842, Misc. 68; 1843, t. 3; Fol. Orch. n. 59; Warner's Select Orchidaceous Plants, t. 28; Lemaire, Jard. Fl. t. 90.

Cuitlauzina pendula, La Llace et Lexarza, Orch. Mex. 2; Reichenbach, fil., Bonplandia, iii. 15, 16.

Habitat in Mexico, Lexarza, Karwinski, Barker.

DESCRIPTION.

Pseudobulbs clustered together, 2 to 4 inches long, compressed, ovate or almost round, smooth and glossy, 2-leaved. Leaves 6 inches to a foot long, leathery, oblong-ligulate, obtuse, rather shorter than the raceme. Raceme issuing at an early stage from the young growth, pendulous, many-flowered, rarely branched, longer than the leaves. Sepals and Petals similar in form, pure white, or in some varieties of a faint blush or rose-colour, frequently sprinkled with minute red dots, oblong, obtuse, about an inch long. Lip unguiculate, kidney-shaped, channelled (with the solid edges turned up) along its base, on which there is a patch of yellow, with a few bright dots in the position where a crest (here entirely wanting) is usually placed; the colour of the disk of the lip varies in different specimens, being sometimes entirely white and sometimes tipped with faint rose-colour or deep-crimson. Column with upper and lower wings (all of which are toothed), that on the back being rounded and the others truncated.

Early in the present century, two Spaniards—La Llave and Lexarza by name—settled at the Mexican town of Valladolid, in the fertile province of Mechoacan. They were both attached to botany, but the younger of the two, Lexarza, was so attracted by the beauty of the numerous Orchids of the district that to these he devoted himself with an ardour that would have done honour even to the Lindleys and Reichenbachs of our own day. As the result of his labours a little work—'Orchidianum Opusculum' he modestly styled it—presently made its appearance, wherein about fifty species, all at that time new to science, were described with remarkable accuracy and skill. Among the number there was a plant,—Cuitlauzina pendula he called it,—said to be of surpassing loveliness and to form an undoubtedly new genus the distinctive characters of which were minutely given. As time went on and the rage for Orchids developed itself in Europe, a keen desire was naturally felt by cultivators to add so fine a plant to their lists; but although many collectors visited Valladolid and laid hands upon nearly all the other desirable Orchids described by Lexarza, still nothing was heard of the Cuitlauzina, and on the cover of the latest number of Dr. Lindley's 'Folia Orchidacea' its name may be found in the list of genera "unknown to the author." About the same time I myself addressed a letter to the 'Gardeners' Chronicle' urging some adventurous traveller to take ship for New Spain, mainly with the object of instituting another search for the tantalizing plant that had hitherto eluded our grasp. Yet all this while Cuitlauzina pendula was amongst us, and indeed had been an established favourite for upwards of twenty years! But if so, it may well be asked, how came it to pass that it was never recognized? For a full reply to this very natural inquiry I must refer the reader to a most ingenious article in 'Bonplandia' (Jahrg. iii. No. 15, 16), by the younger Reichenbach, to whom all the credit is due of having solved a great botanical puzzle, and proved to demonstration that the Cuitlauzina pendula of Lexarza is none other than the Odontoglossum citrosmum of Lindley.^[1]

Under these circumstances, however undesirable the meddling with established names, I scarcely see how, in common justice to Lexarza, we can do otherwise than adopt his specific name of pendula, more especially as it happens that the plant to which he originally gave it remains to this day the only one out of nearly a hundred Odontoglossa that has flower-stems which are strictly pendulous.

Our gardens contain many varieties of O. pendulum, of which, though all are beautiful, some are far superior to others. That represented in the Plate, and which forms a part of Mr. Rucker's collection, is among the best. Mr. Rucker keeps it in his coolest house, where it is perfectly at home, and produces a profusion of its lovely drooping racemes in May and June. It should always be grown in a pot.

Dissections.—1. Front view of lip and column; 2. Side view of ditto: magnified.

Plate VII

Odontoglossum hastilabium.

Odontoglossum hastilabium.

Plate VII.

ODONTOGLOSSUM HASTILABIUM, Lindley.

HALBERT-LIPPED ODONTOGLOSSUM.

O. (Isanthium, Lindl.) pseudobulbis ovatis compressis 1-2-phyllis, foliis oblongis coriaceis, paniculæ exaltatæ ramis spicatis, bracteis cymbiformibus acuminatis ovario æqualibus, sepalis petalisque lineari-lanceolatis acuminatis undulatis, labello apice subrotundo-ovato acuto basi auriculis acutis lanceolatis porrectis aucto, lamellis 5 elevatis, columnæ alis obsolete undulatis, margine versus basin membranaceo dilatato.

Odontoglossum hastilabium, Lindley, Orchid. Linden. n. 84; Hooker, Bot. Mag. t. 4272; Pescatorea, t. 11.

Habitat in Nov. Granada: Tesqua, in the province of Pamplona, at the elevation of 2500 feet, April, Linden; on the road from Santa Martha to the Sierra Nevada, Purdie; Ocaña, January, 5-6000 feet, Schlim, Wagener, Blunt.

DESCRIPTION.

Pseudobulbs compressed, ovate, 3 to 6 inches long, bearing 1 or 2 oblong, leathery Leaves, not more than a third the length of the scape. Bracts boat-shaped, acuminate, equal in length to the ovary. Scape very robust, from 2 to 6 feet high, panicled, bearing from 20 to 100 flowers. Sepals and Petals 1½ to 2 inches long, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, slightly waved at the margin, of a pale-green, barred with numerous lines of dark-red or purple. Lip halbert-shaped, purple at the base, but white in its upper portion, which is of a roundish-ovate form, pointed at the extremity; its crest consists of 2 outer and 2 interior plates, the taller stretching forward beyond the former, with a linear-oval callosity in the centre. Column expanding at its base on either side into an inflexed membrane.

As this stately Odontoglossum is met with at a much lower elevation than any of its congeners, it is constitutionally less impatient of heat, and has therefore been able to accommodate itself to artificial conditions under which others of its race in former years have pined and died. But although in some parts of New Granada it descends as low as 2500 feet, its more frequent range is 2000 feet higher up the mountains, and it is in such situations that it attains its greatest luxuriance and beauty. Some imported specimens that I was fortunate enough to see last year (1864) at the Clapton Nursery, whither they had been sent by Mr. Blunt, had flower-stems half an inch thick and fully 6 feet high. These were gathered at an elevation of at least 4000 feet above the sea-level and, as they arrived in excellent condition and have been extensively distributed, I have little doubt we shall ere long see cultivated specimens that may vie with the wild ones in stature and magnificence. Its flowering season is the spring or early summer.

The figure was taken in May last from a plant in Mr. Rucker's collection where it is grown at the coolest end of the Cattleya-house.

Dissection.—1. Front view of lip and column; 2. Side view of ditto: magnified.

Plate VIII

Odontoglossum grande.

Odontoglossum grande.

Plate VIII.

ODONTOGLOSSUM GRANDE, Lindley.

GREAT ODONTOGLOSSUM.

O. (Xanthoglossum) pseudobulbis ovatis compressis diphyllis, foliis coriaceis oblongo-ensiformibus scapo simplici brevioribus, sepalis lanceolatis lateralibus convexis falcatis petalisque oblongis obtusiusculis latioribus subundulatis, labello subrotundo basi auriculato sepalis plus duplo breviore, disci cristâ apice truncatâ bituberculatâ utrinque in medio dente calloque auctâ, columnæ tomentosæ auriculis rotundatis convexis incurvis.

Odontoglossum grande, Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 1840, Misc. 94; Bateman, Orchid. Mex. t. 21; Morren. Ann. Gand. i. t. 37.

Habitat in Guatemala, Skinner, Hartweg.

DESCRIPTION.

Pseudobulbs compressed, broadly ovate, 2 or 3 inches long, bearing 1 or more frequently 2 leathery, oblong-ensiform Leaves, which, as well as the pseudobulbs, have always more or less of a pale-glaucous hue. Scape twice the length of the leaves, 4-8-flowered. Bracts sheathing, acute, half the length of the ovary. Flowers very large, in some varieties 7 inches or more from the tip of expanded petals. Sepals lanceolate, the lateral ones convex and falcate. Petals wider than the sepals, and, like them, of a rich yellow colour, marked with large deep-cinnamon bands and blotches, oblong, somewhat obtuse at their extremities, and slightly waved at the margin. Lip not half the length of the sepals, nearly round, whitish, with a few crimson stains near the crest, which is of rich orange-yellow, marked with deep-orange spots, and is seated on the disk of the lip; it consists of 2 large truncate processes in front, with 2 or 4 small teeth at its base; its auricles turn their edges down until they meet under the disk of the lip, and there grow together. Column downy, with a rounded, incurved, convex auricle on either side.

Mr. Skinner was the fortunate discoverer of this noble Odontoglossum which to this day remains unsurpassed, even among all the fine additions that have of late years been made to the genus. Mr. Skinner found it in a "barranca" (or dark ravine) in the environs of the city of Guatemala, and so closely had it lain concealed that even his quick eye failed to detect it until long after he had, as he thought, exhausted the district of all its finest Orchids. It was afterwards met with in other localities, but invariably in a climate of which the ordinary range of temperature lay between 60° and 70°, and in situations where it was secure of abundant moisture and constant shade. In these peculiarities of its natural habitat the conditions of its successful cultivation are clearly pointed out; yet, strange to say, they were unheeded for twenty years, during which the plants in our Orchid-houses were always in a feeble and sickly state, rarely producing more than two or three flowers on a scape, while the imported specimens showed that at least double that number was the proper quota. Now, however, the case is different, for with a mild temperature and moderate shade they are found to be managed with the most perfect ease and to grow with a vigour that could never have been exceeded in their native wilds. In proof of this we need only turn to the vignette, which is copied from a beautiful photograph kindly sent to me by Joshua Saunders, Esq., and which represents a specimen of O. grande as it appeared when flowering in his collection at Clifton. As a further evidence of the ease with which the plant may be grown I may mention that under the care of Major Trevor Clarke it has been induced to bloom in the open air during the summer months. This, however, must only be looked upon as an interesting experiment and is not recommended for imitation. O. grande usually flowers in July or August, when the season's growth is nearly completed; after this it should be allowed to rest. Mr. Fitch's drawing was taken from a handsome variety that flowered last year (1864) in a north house at Knypersley, and which had been given me by Mr. Skinner.^[2]

Dissections.—1. Front view of column and labellum; 2. Side view of ditto: slightly magnified.

Plant of Odontoglossum grande in the collection of Joshua Saunders, Esq., copied from a photograph taken by himself.

Plant of Odontoglossum grande in the collection of Joshua Saunders, Esq., copied from a photograph taken by himself.

Plate IX

Odontoglossum nævium.

Odontoglossum nævium.

Plate IX.

ODONTOGLOSSUM NÆVIUM, Lindley.

SPECKLED ODONTOGLOSSUM.

O. (Euodontoglossum) pseudobulbis ovatis compressis, foliis tenuibus lanceolatis basi angustatis scapo racemoso vel subpaniculato multifloro nutante subæqualibus vel longioribus, sepalis petalisque angustis ovato-lanceolatis acuminatis undulatis, labello subconformi pubescente vix hastato, cristæ dentibus 2 grossis bi- vel subtrilobis pubescentibus, columnæ cirrhis subulatis patulis.

Odontoglossum nævium, Lindley in Paxton's Flower Garden, i. t. 18; Flore des Serres, vi. 594; Pescatorea, t. 13; Warner's Select Orchidaceous Plants, t. 7; Reichenbach fil. in Bonplandia, ii. 278.

Habitat in Venezuela, Funck and Schlim (721), in the province of Truxillo, near S. Lazaro and La Peña, 6000 feet; New Granada, in the province of Pamplona, flowering in August, 8000 feet, Linden (146).

DESCRIPTION.

Pseudobulbs ovate, compressed, somewhat bluntly ribbed, bearing 1 or 2 narrow-oblong Leaves, tapering at the base, about equal in length to or more frequently shorter than the many-flowered flower-scape. Flowers arranged on a nodding raceme (occasionally a panicle is formed), pure white, speckled everywhere with rich crimson or brown. Bracts very short, scale-like. Sepals and Petals ovate, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, spreading equally, much waved, from 1½ to (in some varieties) 2 or 2½ inches long. Lip shorter than the petals, but nearly of the same form and colour, except that there is a yellow crest with a large crimson blotch in its front; at its base the edges of the claw clasp the column. Teeth of the crest yellow, small, distinct, with 2 or 3 unequal blunt lobes to each, downy. Column downy, narrowed to the base, with a pair of awl-shaped ears near the summit, below the anther-bed.

This brilliant Odontoglossum was first discovered by the late Sir Robert Schomburgk, and having been shipped with his other collections from Demerara, has long been supposed to be a native of the latter colony. I am, however, satisfied that, beyond the circumstance alluded to, there is not the slightest reason for regarding it as a Demerara plant, for no other collector has ever found it there, nor would its constitution endure so hot a climate. As Sir Robert, in his memorable expedition into the interior of Guiana (1835-37), reached an elevation of 7000 feet, on the fourth parallel of latitude, and among the southern affluents of the Orinoco, I have little doubt that it was in this region that he discovered O. nævium, along with Maxillaria eburnea, Diothonea imbricata, and other treasures that have never yet found their way to us in a living state.^[3]

O. nævium and its varieties appear to be extensively distributed, having been met with in many localities, both in Venezuela and New Granada, always, however, at a very considerable elevation, and hence the necessity of cool treatment. If this be conceded, the plant is of the easiest culture and will flower abundantly in May or June. The figure was taken from a splendid specimen in Mr. Rucker's collection.

I do not think it necessary to adhere any longer to Dr. Lindley's distinction (as noted in the 'Folia Orchidacea') of a "major" variety, for this is now found to pass insensibly into the ordinary type. The former has sometimes been confounded with the O. gloriosum of Reichenbach, but this is a perfectly independent form, and as such will shortly be figured in this work.

Dissections.—1. Front view of lip and column; 2. Side view of ditto: magnified.

100

Plate X

Odontoglossum carinatum.

Odontoglossum carinatum.

Plate X.

ODONTOGLOSSUM CARINIFERUM, Reichb. fil.

KEEL-PETALED ODONTOGLOSSUM.

O. (Xanthoglossum) pseudobulbis oblongis 1-2-phyllis, foliis loratis scapo paniculato brevioribus, sepalis petalisque oblongis acutiusculis basi subcuneatis dorso carinâ crassâ auctis pergameneis, labello membranaceo sessili ligulato dimidio anteriori subito in laminam reniformem denticulatam medio antice apiculatam extenso, lamellis rhombeis extrorsum biquadridentatis supinis utrinque in ligulâ labelli basilari, raphi utriusque lamellæ carinatâ antrorsum in tres digitos excurrente, columnâ elongatâ, alis elongatis crenulatis hyalinis inferioribus 2 utrinque obtusatis, crassioribus columnâ vix marginatâ. (Reichb. fil. in Bot. Zeitung, 1852, p. 638.)

Odontoglossum cariniferum, Lindl. Fol. Orch.

Habitat in America centrali, Reichenbach.

DESCRIPTION.

Pseudobulbs 3 or 4 inches long, oblong, smooth, bearing 2 broadish, leathery, sharp-pointed Leaves. Scape longer than the leaf, panicled with zigzag branches. Bracts triangular, short. Sepals and Petals 1 inch long, greenish outside, but of a purplish-brown inside, distinctly keeled at the back. Lip yellowish-white, sessile, ligulate at its base, but suddenly changing into a broad reniform plate, which is apiculate in front, and at its base adjoins the crest, which consists of 2 nearly prostrate, irregularly toothed, rhomboid lobes on either side, with 3 finger-like processes in front. Column elongated, with transparent crenulate wings, its anther-bed scarcely margined.

For the opportunity of figuring this pretty Odontoglossum I am indebted to the kindness of the Bishop of Winchester, in whose collection at Farnham Castle it flowered profusely in November last. A fortnight afterwards I also received specimens from Mr. Rucker, but the flowers of his variety were scarcely so bright in their colouring as those of the Bishop's plant.

O. cariniferum, although now figured for the first time, appears to have been introduced several years ago to German collections, and from some of these it has, no doubt, found its way to England. It is a native of Central America, where it probably affects a high elevation, as it succeeds perfectly under cool treatment, both at Farnham Castle and at West Hill. Its flowers continue in perfection for many weeks.

Dissections.—1. Front view of lip and column; 2. Side view of ditto: magnified.

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1. The idea that Cuitlauzina pendula might possibly be identical with Odontoglossum citrosmum had more than once occurred to myself, but Lexarza's character of the flower-scape,—which he described as "bracteis destitutus,"—had always proved an insuperable difficulty. It seems, however, that the scapes of the other Odontoglossa that he met with happened to be entirely clothed with large inflated bracts; our present plant therefore, in which they occur only at long intervals and are exceedingly minute, may in comparison be said to be almost "destitute" of them.
2. Mr. Skinner has lately received from Guatemala some magnificent specimens of O. grande, which are incorporated with masses of Fern and other shade-loving plants. Cultivators might make a good practical use of the well-known maxim "noscitur a sociis" in this case.
3. I copy Sir Robert's description of the locality in which these plants were found, in the hope that some collector may be induced to visit so interesting a region:—"The Diothonea was met with on the high mountain-chain between the sixty-fifth and sixty-sixth meridian and the fourth parallel of latitude, at an elevation of 6-7000 feet above the sea-level. The summits of those elevations are thickly covered with two species of Lichen, the white colour of which conveys the supposition that the ground is covered with snow. The thermometer stood frequently in the morning at 57° F., which, connected with the snow-white Lichens, powerfully reminded us of a winter landscape. Indeed, the stunted trees, with grey tortuous branches, would have assisted to make the picture complete, if numerous Orchidaceæ, conjointly with green Mosses, had not clothed them. Indeed, it was the Orchidaceæ alone that gave the vegetation a tropical aspect.... We discovered the Maxillaria near Mount Maravaca."—Lindl. Sert. Orch. sub t. xl.