O D O N T O G L O S S U M VKXI L L A R IU M avm A
MILTONIA VEXILLARIA
Is Iiarvis angiisic oblongis CQinj)ri;ssis, foliis |iedalibus lanccol a Io-linea ribus acutis, scapo BracMi 4—6-ßore,
illiio platiu, scpalis pctolisquc late obovalo-nblnngis oblusis v. subaculi«, labollo maxiiw. iirbiculari api«
produclis, disco |>aucicaUoso, columna brevissima oxalala.
V. fere NIBMIS, IICRLAI
MILTONIA VKXILI.AKIA, liontli. in Joiirn, Linr. Soc., XVIII, (1881;, |>, 327 I & Hook. f.
Gen. Plant., 1 li., p. jfij ; Nicholson Diet Gard,, 11., p. 3Û9 ; Hull, Soc. 'lose Ortic., i8«g, I. 11 -, l.indcnia,
v., p, 21, t,20i (var, superba),
OnONTOcLo,'>.st)M VÜXILLARIUH, Rchb. f, in Gard. Chron., Aug. 31. 1867, p. goi ; id., 1872, p.
667, lig, 163 ; id,, 1873, pp, 580, 644, fig. 123 ; Hoi, Mag., t 6037 1 Jcnn. Orch,, t. 36 ; Hatctn. Mon'igr.
Odont., (, 29 ; Rchb. t. Xcn. Oreli. II., p. 190, t. 1Ä2 ; Fl. Mati.. n. s., tL 73, 4C1 (var. rubnjcn.J; 111-
llort., XX., p. 10, t. 1131 Rev. Hort., 1876, p. 390, cum ic.; W.irn. Sci. Orch., scr. L 38 ; Orchido.
philc, 1882, p. 273, cum xyl.i Lc J.irtin, 18S8, p. 103, cum xj-logr.i Hdg. Hon., XXX., p. 257. L 141
Deutsche Gartcnz., 18S6, p. 208, fig. 61 ; Warn. & Will, Orcli. Alb,, 1V„ t, 171 (var. supcrbum); V.,
I. 227 (var. album); VIII., t 388 (var. roselim); Lindenia, I., p. 31, t. 13 (var. purpurea).
This menili CO tit spccies. probiibly one of the mont ix)piilaf cool orchids in cullivation, wai
originally described as an Odonloglossuni. Ihough al the prc^<:nt lime il is generally regarded as a
Miltonia, on account of ils spreading lip, which docs not agree with Oilontoglossum. It is believed lo
have firîl been met with by Bowman, on Ihe western slopes of Ihc Andes of New Granada. It iva.«
originally dcscribcd in 1867, from a single dried flower. Tor several years the ilimcultics al lend in g iu
introduction proved insuperable. Plan is sent by Wallis and Roeil all arrived in a dead or dying slate.
Five years lalcr Reiehciibacli wrote thai Ihis fairy of the priin.tval woods seemed destined to certain
destruction in the attempi to bring it alive lo Europe. In 1872, however, Mr. l-lenry Chcslerlon hroujlit
<luring ihe following year, the first flower expanding on April 19tli- One of the plants was al once
figured in the öffMwW vt/^i-wí/wr, Since then, owing to ils discovery in olhcr localilies, innumerable
woods, .is has so often been prophesied.' •'' • > ' > ' ^ A'. /Ì. Kolft.
THIS extraordinary and charming Odontoglot takes a premier place among- it.s congeners for its great beauty and variety,
anil stands unrivalled for florifcrousness. The whole genus does not contain anything nearly equal to this magnificcnt
spccies in this respect ; even small plants with two growths will sometimes produce twenty large blossoms, and we have
ourselves grown plants that have borne three, and even four, spikes of flowers on a single growth. For a permanent
exhibition of orchids, a supply of O. vexillatium is absolutely necessary; and as the plants flower in succession, it is
doubly valuable in maintaining a display. Since Bowman first discovered this marvellous Odontoglossum wc havo
imported at least a million plants, and yet the demand is constantly on the increase. Bowman was on a journey in
Antioquia, and when near Frontino he discovered O. vexillarium, but since his first finding of the plant our own
collectors have met with the same species in four other wide apart districts in Columbia. Perhaps the most distinct
form is the var. Klabochorum or rubellum, which flowers in summer and autumn. The late Professor Reichenbach
described the species under somewhat difficult circumstances, having had a bloom lent to him by a friend, after a promise
was made to him under the following five heads—viz., not to show it to anybody else, not to speak much about it, not
to take a drawing, not to have a photograph made, not to look oftener than three times at it. The above is a true stoo".
and is cited to show the enormous importance of the introduction into Europe of this queen of Odoiitoglossuins.
Locality, which in orchids produces types, plays its freaks very plainly with this orchid. Introduced into Europe
are three distinct forms, namely, Odontoglossum vexillarium Lehmanni, a very small-flowered variety, with a peculiar,
undulated lip ; and O. vexillarium Klabochorum, Rchb. f. (rubellum hort.), introduced by us in 1878. For many years
we were unsuccessful in finding a locality in which this variety existed in sufiicient quantity, but of late we have been
more successful- Odontoglossum vexillarium Klabochorum is a discovery of the late Mr. F. Klaboch, The blooms are
small, always very dark, and the variety flower.s, unlike its confrères, towards autumn. Then wc come to the largeflowering
O. vexillarium, discovered by Bowman near Medelin, in the province of Antioquia, in the United States of
Columbia. This variety is the one mostly cultivated, and the finest of the three existing types. There are, of course,
not two alike in colour and shape, but all of this exact type produce large blossoms.
With respect to the culture of this grand orchid, much has been written. We have found it quite an easy
plant to cultivate, and even a rapid grower. Care must be taken to keep it quite clean, and to water the plants only
when they are dry. If you have any doubt about their being dry enough, wait a day longer. Always grow the plant in
a temperature as near 60 deg. F. as possible, and close to the glass, taking care that enough shading is employed in
the hot days of spring and summer. If the plants are kept too hot, they become infested with thrips; and in winter,
if the temperature falls much below 60 deg. F. for any length of time, the leaves become spotted and decay at the apices.
Reichenbach always considered this orchid a true Odontoglo.ssum, and not a Miltonia. Odontoglossum s crossed
with Odontoglossum s have now been raised in Europe from seed in several instances, but the raising of Miltonias
cross«l with Odontoglossums, although often tried, has been an utter failure. The true Miltonias come from Brazil only,
and are not found in any other country, whereas no Odontoglossums arc to be foun<l in Brazil.
Our plate wns taken from plants in ihe collection of Baron Theodor 11 ruby, Schlnss I'eckau, Kol in.