But even winds and birds
could not bear the seed of _Dendrobium heterocarpum_ from Ceylon to
Burmah, and from Burmah to Luzon in the Philippines; at least, I am
utterly unable to credit it. If the plants were identical, or nearly, in
their different habitats, this case would be less significant. But the
_D. heterocarpum_ of Ceylon has a long, thin pseudo-bulb, with bright
yellow flowers; that of Burmah is short and thick, with paler colouring;
that of Luzon is no less than three feet high, exaggerating the stature
of its most distant relative while showing the colour of its nearest;
but all, absolutely, the same botanic plant. I have already mentioned
other cases.
Experience hitherto suggests that we cannot raise Odontoglossum
seedlings in this climate; very, very few have ever been obtained.
Attempts in France have been rather more successful. Baron Adolf de
Rothschild has four different hybrids of Odontoglossum in bud at this
present moment in his garden at Armainvilliers, near Paris. M. Moreau
has a variety of seedlings.
Authorities admit now that a very great proportion of our Odontoglossums
are natural hybrids; so many can be identified beyond the chance of
error that the field for speculation has scarcely bounds. _O. excellens_
is certainly descended from _O. Pescatorei_ and _O. triumphans_, _O.
elegans_ from _O. cirrhosum_ and _O. Hallii_, _O.
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