PL. 71. ODONTOGLOSSUM MADRENSE.
ODONTOGLOSSUM MADRENSE.
[[Plate 71].]
Native of the Sierra Madre of Mexico.
Epiphytal. Pseudobulbs ligulate or narrowly-oblong, ancipital, three inches or more in length, pale green. Leaves lorate or linear-lanceolate acute, nervose, keeled, usually two but sometimes one only from the apex of each pseudobulb, sometimes with a leaf sheathing the base. Scapes lateral, twelve to eighteen inches long, bearing an inclined raceme of from six to eight flowers from the axils of brown membranaceous triangular acuminate bracts. Flowers fragrant, white blotched with reddish purple, three and a half to four inches in their vertical diameter, and somewhat less transversely; sepals lanceolate, acuminate, keeled behind, about two inches long, white, with on oblong bilobed reddish purple blotch at the base; petals broader, oblong, apiculate, white, with a bilobed purple blotch twice as long as that of the sepals and more distinctly separate; lip smaller than the sepals and petals, recurved, with a short hollow claw, which bears two small retrorse lateral lobes, having between them and in front two collateral pairs of retuse bipapulose calli; the front lobe triangular or trowel-shaped, cuspidate, with crispy margins, white with the disk and calli orange-yellow. Column short, greenish, wingless, hairy at the base.
Odontoglossum madrense, Reichenbach fil., in Gardeners’ Chronicle, N.S., ii. 804; viii, 102.
Odontoglossum maxillare, Hooker fil., Botanical Magazine, t. 6144—fide Reichenbach; not of Lindley.
Our present subject, Odontoglossum madrense, is not only pretty but distinct, and very different in its growth, as well as in its flowers, from most of the Odontoglots, as will be seen by the accompanying figure, taken from the best grown specimen of the kind we have yet met with, which is in the select collection belonging to R. Vanner, Esq., of Camden Wood, Chislehurst, who certainly succeeds admirably in the cultivation of this plant. The subject from which our illustration was prepared, has flowered for two years in succession in the same grand way, and we have no doubt that as the plant gets more fully established it will produce more and more flowers on the spike. It is a very free-growing plant, but we find that it does best in a warmer temperature than that in which most Odontoglots thrive. The temperature of the Cattleya house seems to suit it best, and it should be suspended from the roof, and grown in a shallow pan in a compost of peat and sphagnum moss. It requires a liberal supply of water during the growing season, and should not be kept too dry when at rest, sufficient water being given to keep the soil moist, and the bulbs plump. We have also grown this plant successfully in the warm end of the Odontoglossum house.
Odontoglossum madrense is an evergreen plant, with upright pseudobulbs of a light green colour. The leaves are about six inches long. The flowers are produced on upright spikes which are produced from the sides of the bulbs after the plant has completed its growth; the sepals and petals are white with a large purplish brown blotch at the base of each; the lip is orange at the base, white in front. The plant blooms during the autumn months, and lasts for several weeks in perfection.
This is a plant that every Orchid-grower should possess, as it can be bought at a reasonable price, and does not take up much room. Propagation is effected by division, leaving two or three bulbs with the leading growth to each divided piece. We find the best time to perform this operation is just as the plant begins to start into growth. After division the young plants should be potted and kept in a shady place until they begin to grow, when more light should be given to them.
Mr. Lee’s Orchids.—The collection of Orchids at Downside, Leatherhead, is fast becoming the most important in this country. East India Orchids are special favourites with Mr. Lee, and this section of the family is well represented. In the Phalænopsis house are to be found several grand plants; we particularly noticed some well-grown specimens of Phalænopsis Schilleriana; one plant of P. amabilis was the largest we have ever seen in cultivation, having many growths, and showing several flower spikes; P. Stuartiana was well represented, and seems quite at home here; P. intermedia, with its varieties Portei and Brymeriana were also in good form; as well as P. violacea, which was in flower. Mr. Lee is not content with having a few plants of this lovely class of Orchids, but possesses them by the hundred, so fond is he of them. The Vanda house also contains some marvellous examples of cultivation, Vanda tricolor Warneri being well in bloom, also other varieties of the same species, together with V. lamellata Boxallii, &c. In the same house were some well grown plants of Cattleya Walkeriana, in flower, suspended from the roof. Amongst the Cattleyas was a fine variety of Cattleya labiata in flower, the picture of health. The different kinds of Aërides and Saccolabium were looking equally well. In the Lycaste house, Lycaste Skinneri amabile, and L. Skinneri alba were in flower, also a fine lot of Cattleya marginata, and of Lælia præstans, and L. Dayana; indeed we had never before seen such a grand display of those little gems. In the cool houses the different sorts of Odontoglossum and Masdevallia were represented by some magnificent plants, some of which were in flower. Mr. Lee is still building Orchid houses with a view to giving his plants more room. One house in particular took our fancy, but of this we hope to furnish some particulars at another time.—H. W.
