ODONTOGLOSSUM NÆVIUM, _Lindley in Paxton's Flower Garden_, i. _t._ 18; _Flore des Serres_, vi. 594; _Pescatorea_, _t._ 13; _Warner's Select Orchidaceous Plants_, _t._ 7; _Reichenbach fil. in Bonplandia_, ii. 278. Habitat in VENEZUELA, _Funck and Schlim_ (721), in the province of Truxillo, near S. Lazaro and La Peña, 6000 feet; NEW GRANADA, in the province of Pamplona, flowering in August, 8000 feet, _Linden_ (146). DESCRIPTION. PSEUDOBULBS _ovate, compressed, somewhat bluntly ribbed, bearing 1 or 2 narrow-oblong_ LEAVES, _tapering at the base, about equal in length to or more frequently shorter than the many-flowered flower-scape_. FLOWERS _arranged on a nodding raceme (occasionally a panicle is formed), pure white, speckled everywhere with rich crimson or brown_. BRACTS _very short, scale-like_. SEPALS _and_ PETALS _ovate, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, spreading equally, much waved, from 1½ to (in some varieties) 2 or 2½ inches long_. LIP _shorter than the petals, but nearly of the same form and colour, except that there is a yellow crest with a large crimson blotch in its front; at its base the edges of the claw clasp the column_. TEETH _of the crest yellow, small, distinct, with 2 or 3 unequal blunt lobes to each, downy_. COLUMN _downy, narrowed to the base, with a pair of awl-shaped ears near the summit, below the anther-bed_. This brilliant _Odontoglossum_ was first discovered by the late Sir Robert Schomburgk, and having been shipped with his other collections from Demerara, has long been supposed to be a native of the latter colony. I am, however, satisfied that, beyond the circumstance alluded to, there is not the slightest reason for regarding it as a Demerara plant, for no other collector has ever found it there, nor would its constitution endure so hot a climate. As Sir Robert, in his memorable expedition into the interior of Guiana (1835-37), reached an elevation of 7000 feet, on the fourth parallel of latitude, and among the southern affluents of the Orinoco, I have little doubt that it was in this region that he discovered _O. nævium,_ along with _Maxillaria eburnea_, _Diothonea imbricata_, and other treasures that have never yet found their way to us in a living state.[6] _O. nævium_ and its varieties appear to be extensively distributed, having been met with in many localities, both in Venezuela and New Granada, always, however, at a very considerable elevation, and hence the necessity of cool treatment. If this be conceded, the plant is of the easiest culture and will flower abundantly in May or June. The figure was taken from a splendid specimen in Mr. Rucker's collection.