1290 
MICROSTYLIS* ophioglossoídes; 6. mexicana. 
Mexican Snake’s-tongue-leaved Microstylis. 
An 
GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA. 
Nat. ord. Orcuıpex. $ Malaxidee Lindley: * Pleurothalleze. 
MICROSTYLIS Nutt.—Sepala patentia, libera ; lateralia basi sequalia 
seepiús breviora. Petala patentia, linearia v. filiformia. ^ Labellum pa- 
tentissimum, cum columná angulum rectum formans, basi excavatum, 
sagittatum v. auriculatum, integerrimum v. dentatum, tuberculis nullis. 
Columna minima, raró paululúm elongata, apice dentibus seu auribus duábus 
instructa. . Pollinia 4, collateralia. Herbe terrestres v. epiphyte, habitu 
Liparis, folis plicatis v. membranaceis, basi raró incrassatis. Flores 
herbacei, nunc flavescentes v. discolores.—Lindley, Generà and Species of 
Orchideous Plants, part 1. ined. 
M. ophioglossoides ; caule unifolio, racemo obtuso capitato multifloro, labello 
tridentato. J. c. 
Malaxis unifolia. Michaux. 
Malaxis ophioglossoides. Willd. no. 3. Lodd, bot. cab. t, 1146. excellent. 
Microstylis ophioglossoides. Nutt. gen. 2. 196. — 
B. mexicana ; caule pedali, racemo densiore, labelli dente mediá lateralibus 
minore. l.c. 
This genus was instituted by Mr. Nuttall, but with a 
very erroneous description. It is, however, most distinctly 
characterised, and has been since proposed by Dr. Blume 
under the name of Crepidium ; and by Dr. Wallich, in his 
manuscript papers, under that of Thyreochilus. Fourteen 
species are known to us, of which five are unpublished. 
Malaxis monophyllos Willd., diphyllos of Chamisso, umbel- 
lulata and spicata of Swartz, acuminata of Don, Rheedii 
Wilid., Crepidium flavescens Blume, and Ophrys macro- 
stachya Llave, all belong to the genus. We shall give the 
characters of these and other species in a work specially 
* So named from usxgos, small, and ervass, a column; in allusion to the 
very small size of what is called the column in this plant. 
