ORCHIDACEOUS GENUS DIDYMOPLEXIS. 309 
genus as Apetalon of Wight; and Mr. Bentham * reduces them 
to one genus bearing the former name, whilst Didymoplexis is 
doubtfully referred by the same botanist to Pogonia. Kurzt 
had already stated that Didymoplexis pallens and Arethusa ecris- 
tata were the same plant; and a comparison of the figures verifies 
his statement. He also cites Apetalon minutum, Wight, as a 
synonym of the same species, which it may well be; for although 
the figures do not agree, especially in the parts of the flower, 
Wight's specimens are not distinguishable from Griffith's plant, 
and the drawing in Wight's * Icones' is evidently a very rude one, 
whilst Griffith's figures of the flowers are merely diagrammatic. 
It is probable, however, that Kurz merely followed Reichen- 
bach in this part of the synonymy, though he may have inde- 
pendently arrived at the same conclusion. 
Dr. Reichenbach t not only reduces Apetalon minutum to Di- 
dymoplexis pallens; he goes further, aud refers the latter to the 
genus Epiphanes of Blume, as Epiphanes pallens, Rchb. f. Never- 
theless I think Endlieher$, Lindley ||, Miquel, and Bentham ** 
are unquestionably right in reducing Zpiphanes javanica to Gas- 
trodia; and Blumett was of the same opinion. The perianth is 
essentially that of a typical Gastrodia; that is to say, the three 
sepals and the two lateral petals are united nearly to the top 
except the opposite edges of the two lateral sepals, which are free, 
so that the whole forms an envelope fissured to the base beneath 
the labellum ; whilst in Didymoplexis the perianth is somewhat 
two-lipped with the labellum inside. 
Mr. Bentham 11 defines them thus :—* Sepalum posticum cum 
petalis in labium superum trifidum, lateralia in labium inferum bi- 
fidum connata. Labellum latissimum indivisum.— Leucorchis 
[ —Didymoplexis]. Sepala cum petalis in tubum late ventricosum 
quinquelobum antice fissum connata.  Labellum indivisum.— 
Gastrodia.” 
Kurz§§ still further confused the synonymy of Didymo- 
* Bentham et Hooker, ‘Genera Plantarum, iii. p. 616. 
t Seemann's Journal of Botany, 1866, p. 40. 
1 Seemann, ‘Flora Vitiensis,’ p. 296. 
§ ‘Genera Plantarum; i. p. 212. 
|| ‘Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants,’ p. 384. 
€ ' Flore Indie Batave, iii. p. 717. 
** Journal of the Linnean Society, xviii. p. 349. 
tt ‘Les Orchidées de l'Archipel Indien,’ pp. 141 & 145, t. 52. 
tt Bentham and Hooker, ‘Genera Plantarum,’ iii. p. 485; 1226. 
§§ Seemann’s Journal of Botany, 1866, p. 40. 
LINN. JOURN.—BOTANY, VOL. XX. 2B 
