í!
O D O N T O G L O S S U M (HYBRIDÜM) \VILCIvEANUAI RM./.
V A R . L E R O Y A N U M m/c.
se ot tiisquilc
il hybrid, derived from Odontonlossum crispum.
cxnmined a considerable ai It of vr
O. luteo-purpufcum,
0b»cr\'cii, wj.icb tltidcfs !t dimciilt lo
ODONTOGI.OSSUM WILCKKANUM, kchb. r, in Gard. Chi-on, Mar. 6, 1880, p. 298 ; id., M.IY 17, 1S84, p. Ú40, fig- 122 : id, Aug. 15, 1885. !>• 205. FIG- 4
líl yclluw. The «hapc ot Ib
id., Jan. 16, 1SS6, p. 16. fig. 14 ; W.irn. Scl. Orch., scr, 3, t 23 ; Veitcli Man. Oi-ch. PI., ¡>t. 1, |i. ;S, with fig.
ODOKTOCWSSUM SNUI-I LtwoKTmi, HorL; Card. Cliron., Apr. 12, 1S84, p. 49a
VAR. LRKOVANUM. A garden liybrid raised from Odotit(^Iossum erispiiin fcniliscd with ihe poller
rounder [lian in O. crispum, in which respect Ihcy ;ii>pronch nearer 0. ltiteo-piiq>iirciiin, « hilo the habit ant
ground colour of the flower is nearly white, but all the segmcnB are heavily inarkcd «¡tli reddish-brown,
segment^ inch dint' the toothed peKils, alio lhal of the lip, indu<ling I he crcsl, are .ill strongly niarlte.1 witl
OHÜNTOÜLOSSUM (hybridum) LEKOYANTIM, Castle in Card. Chron., June 7, 1890, p. 704 \ Orchidi
The bciiutiful variety lierc figured is a garden hybrid, raised in the collection of «aron lidi
ll is the first arlificially rawed hybrid Odonloglossum ivliich has reached Ihe flowering stage, and th
Ihc large number of undoubted natural hybrids which have ilowcre<l in Kuropean collections, but litlle
previously allcmpled to raise them by arliUcial crossing. It floored for the fir.t time in May, 1890, about tl
Anotlii-T |X)int of Interest about it is that it proves vhat has long been believed lo be the parenuige of O, Wile
of the characters ofthe plant itself and its supposed iMrents. The identity ofO. Leroyanum with
lhan a botanist's standpoint Certain it is, however, thai it difler.i less from certain forms of 0. W
from each other, and the only possible course !< lo make O, Leroyanum a variety ofthe same. A li>
volume, from which it will be seen that this hybrid exhibits a wide l ange of v.irialien ; as, indeed, 11
times over. Ill such cases I Ihink all should be brought under Ihe same name, ilislinguishing any ol
s posiie!i.«es D special ir
FOR the subject of our illustration we are inclebtecl to M. Leroy, head gardener to B;tron Edmond de Rothschild,
Armainvilliers, near Paris, after whom it is named by the special wish of the Baron.
I t is a garden hybrid, the result of a cross between Odontoglossuni crispum and O. luteo-purpureum, the former
being the seed parent.
The flowers, which combine in a very striking manner the character of both parents, are about zyi inches across.
The petals are somewhat broader than the sepals, which have a ground colour best described as of a pale straw
tint, becoming more strongly developed towards the tips. Three broad transverse bars of a bright red arc distributed on
each equally, but those upon the upper se))al appear to be much more clearly defined.
The petals are nearly white, and have a large red blotch in the centre and two smaller blotches at the side nearest
the base, which is also blotched or striped. The lip resembles that of Odontoglossuni luteo-purpureum.
We heartily congratulate M. Leroy and his able assistant in charge of the Orchid department at Armainvilliers.
M. Jacob, on the production of this most interesting hybrid, which should prove encouraging to those amateurs who
devote their attention to that most fascinating work—the hybridisation of orchids. Hitherto failure has been the rule
with Odontoglossums—not that the section has been neglected, but good results have not followed the many efforts made.
In this case, however, the success is very marked, only a little over three years having elapsed from the sowing of the
seed to the flowering of the plant, the flower spike being produced from the second bulb, A very remarkable fact, and
well worthy of note, connected with the growth of the plants is communicated to us by the raiser. For the first
eighteen months the young plants resembled Zygopetalum rather than Odontoglossum. The first growths, as they
advanced in size continued making new leaves, but without forming a bulb. After a while, however, the leaves of the
base dropped off, showing an imperfect bulb bearing a leaf and a young growth, which became in course of time the
normal bulb, and produced the flower spike.
About a dozen plants were raised, and a few perished a-S time rolled on, and we look fonvard with great interest to
the flowering of another plant. This will no doubt vary in its colouring from the first, as, of course, there are never
two hybrid orchids exactly alike. We have seen at Armainvilliers several other Odontoglossum crosses, such as seedlings
between Odontoglossum Rossi and O. Cervantesi, and Messrs. Leroy and Jacob have, indeed, displayed great skill and
have given much thought to the subject. In the raising of Odontoglossums, France certainly is ahead of Hngland, ,\I.
Bleu raised his beautiful Milloniopsis (Odontoglossum) Bleui; and in the gardens of M. Delahogue-Moreau, Paris, wc
have lately seen fine plants, not yet flowered, raised between Odontoglossum maculatum and Ruckerianum, and although
no Continental grower could ever reach the excellence of British orchid cultivation, or approach our wonderfully hardy
ctilture, owing principally to climatic circumstances, we have been beaten by our Paris friends in the raising of Odontoglossum
hybrids. It may be that the brighter Continental air ripens the seed better; but this is hardly an excuse for us
—«'e could place our seed pods near the glass in a house with a southern aspect, and so get xvell developed seeds.
Our plate was taken from a plant in the collection of Baron Kdraond de Rothschild, Armainvilliere, near Paris.