This pretty little Odontoglossum comes from Ocaña, where it was first discovered by Mr. Low's collector many years ago. At that time none of the plants reached England alive, but some dried specimens that found their way to Professor Reichenbach, enabled the great German Orchidist to name and describe the species; which turns out to be nearly allied to O. nævium. It has been met with by M. Roezl and other collectors, but is still a rare plant, as its constitution is apt to succumb under a long journey by sea and land. The specimens from which Mr. Fitch prepared his drawing, flowered in the spring of 1871, in the collection of the Royal Horticultural Society;—the plants having been purchased at one of Stevens' sales, among a "miscellaneous lot" of doubtful things. The species is a free-flowerer, and sends out an agreeable honey-like odour, but in point of beauty is scarcely a rival for O. nævium. It seems to require rather more heat than the latter species, which is one of the coolest of cool Orchids.
Plate XXIX
Odontoglossum vexillarium.
Plate XXIX.
ODONTOGLOSSUM VEXILLARIUM.
BROAD-LIPPED ODONTOGLOSSUM.
O. (Phalænopsidea) pseudobulbis ovato-oblongis compressis 1-2-phyllis; foliis pedalibus subglaucescentibus carinatis lanceolatis acutis pedunculis gracilibus 2-6-floris subæqualibus; bracteis triangulis minutis; floribus maximis roseo suffusis; sepalis oblongo-ligulatis apiculatis; petalis conformibus vel paulò latioribus subacutis vel obtusis; labello maximio flabellato orbiculari bilobo, in unguem brevem hastatum contracto, carinis quinis abruptis in basi; columnâ brevissimâ exalatâ.
Odontoglossum vexillarium, Rchb. fil. in Gard. Chron. 1867, 901; ibid. 1872, p. 667, cum Xylo; 1873, p. 580, 644, cum Xylo, 885; Hooker in Bot. Mag. t. 6037; Illustration Horticole, 1873, Pl. cxiii.
Habitat in N. Grenada, Bowman, Wallis, Roezl, Chesterton.