MB. G. BENTHAM ON OBCHLDEiE. 291 



and at the other to the pollen-masses, and has given rise to the 

 contradictory statements of careful observers as to whether such 

 genera as Tipularia, Oreorchis, Amblostoma, Seraphytum, Colla- 

 bimn, Acrochcene, Chrysoglossum, &c. have or have not the pollina- 

 rium of Vandeae . In some genera amongst Erieae and Ccelogyneae, 

 and in a very marked manner in Calanthe veratrifolia and its 

 allies, the viscum connecting the points of the acuminate or 

 caudate pollen-masses is readily consolidated into a gland or disk 

 lying on the rostellum, analogous, but not very similar, to that 

 of Yandeae, whilst in all other respects the anther is entirely that 

 of those subtribes of Epidendreae, and not of Yandeae. 



There are a few general characters in the vegetative organs or 

 in inflorescence by which the majority of Epidendreae may be 

 distinguished from Yandeae; but they are not sufficiently constant 

 to be taken into the tribual character, or are peculiar to some of 

 the subtribes into the consideration of which I shall now enter. 



Subtribe 1. Pleurothalle^e. — The chief character of this sub- 

 tribe resides in the vegetative organs and inflorescence, the 

 pollinary apparatus being generally that of Liparideae, or the 

 pollen-masses usually, but not always, smaller and fewer. The 

 Pleurothalleae are usually, but not always, small epiphytes. The 

 flowering-stems, arising from the nodes of the rhizome or of a 

 creeping caudex, are simple, not thickening into fleshy pseudo- 

 bulbs ; they bear, at the base or at intervals below the leaf, one, 

 two, or more sheathing scales, and apparently terminate in a 

 single leaf, either sessile or petiolate, but not forming any sheathing 

 base ; apparently also at the base or in the axil of this leaf is the 

 inflorescence, sometimes a one-flowered peduncle, sometimes a 

 raceme or a cluster of one- or several-flowered peduncles issuing 

 from a sheath, which is sometimes very minute, sometimes long 

 and spathe-like. In reality, however, this inflorescence is ter- 

 minal, and the leaf lateral immediately under it. In the majority 

 of the genera the stem is well developed under the leaf and inflo- 

 rescence ; but in Masdevallia the peduncles have the appearance 

 of leafless scapes proceeding from the rhizome and mixed in the 

 tuft with unifoliate stems ; but in reality, as pointed out to me by 

 Dr. Pfister, these apparently unifoliate stems are long petioles, 

 bearing no sheathing scales, and the peduncles are always joined 

 at the base to one of them within one of the scarious sheaths of 

 the rhizome, both, in fact, normally terminating an exceedingly 

 short stem. A nearly similar growth may be observed in a few 



