326 ME. a. BENTHAM ON OBCUIDE^. 



are small and numerous in a much-branched panicle, larger and 

 fewer in a simple raceme in Comparettia. The fourth genus, Sce- 

 lochilus, Klotzsch, three or four species, is perhaps too closely 

 allied to Comparettia, but has a much shorter spur and some 

 other slight differences. In the two remaining genera of the 

 series, Trichocentrum and Bodriguesia, the spur is on the label- 

 lum only, projecting between the bases of the lateral sepals. Tri" 

 chocentrum, Poepp. and Endl., about eight species, is very well 

 characterized by the short column connected with the labellum 

 into a broad tube or cup, by the rather long spur, and by the 

 inflorescence. JPlectrophora, Focke, united by Lindley and by 

 Eeichenbach with Trichocentrum, has a different habit; the spur 

 is certainly formed chiefly by the lateral sepals, and it appears to 

 me to be a true Comparettia. Bodriguezia, Euiz and Pavon, about 

 twenty species, is a well-established genus, with a slender column 

 and a short spur to the labellum. It was originally confounded by 

 Lindley with Gomesa, E. Br., which has no spur ; and when he 

 afterwards separated the spurred species he unfortunately over- 

 looked the fact that these were the true JRodriguezias of Euiz and 

 Pavon, and gave them the new name of Burlingtonia, as since 

 pointed out by Eeichenbach, who reduces the Gomesa, E. Br., or 

 Bodriguezia, Lindl., to Odontoglossum. In B. secunda, H. B. and 

 K., and Burlingtonia maculata, Lindl., the spur is reduced to so 

 short a gibbosity as almost to justify the connexion of Hodriguezia 

 with Gomesa. 



Series 2. Labellum ccalcaratum basi columnar adnatum. — Pour 

 genera, Trichopilia, Aspasia, Cochlioda, and Dignathe. Triclio- 

 pilia, Lindl., about sixteen species, should, I think, include 

 Pilumna, Lindl., Leucohyle, Kl., Helcia, Lindl., and, perhaps, 

 Oliveriana, Eeichb. f. Helcia was distinguished by Liudley as 

 having the labellum quite free ; but according to Eeichenbach 

 this is a mistake, and it is really adnate at its base along the 

 centre, as in other Triclicpilice. I have only seen a single flower 

 in herb. Lindl., and could not verify the point. Oliveriana, 

 Eeichb. f., is only known to me from Eeichenbach's character, 

 in which I can see nothing to separate it from Trichopilia, ex- 

 cept that the peduncle or scape bears six flowers instead of only 

 frozn one to three. Aspasia, Lindl., including Trophianthus, 

 Scheidw., about six species, is reduced by Eeichenbach to a sec- 

 tion of Odonlojlossum, from which it appears to me io differ essen- 

 tially in the claw of the labellum closely united with the column 



