Tas, 7129. 
PLEUROTHALLIS prartyracuis. 
Native of Costa Rica. 
Nat. Ord. OncuEex.—Tribe EpenpDrez, — 
_ Genus Prevrornatuis, Br. ; (Benth. et Hook.f. Gen. Pl. vol. iii. p. 488.) 
PLEUROTHALLIS platyrachis ; cxespitosa, foliis 4-6 pollicaribus in petiolum an- 
gustatis oblanceolatis carinatis apicibus obtusis integris 3-denticula- 
tisve, scapis gracilibus foliis longioribus anguste bialatis apice 46-floris, 
bracteis subdistichis ovatis acutis viridibus infimis vacuis, floribus sub- 
erectis breviter et crasse pedicellatis, ovario brevi 3-gono, perianthio 
pollicari flavo punctulato, sepalis carinatis marginibus recurvis ovato- 
lanceolatis acuminatis supra medium verruculosis nervis viridibus, petalis 
minutis lineari-oblongis obtusis brunneis, labello basi rotundato dein 
recurvo anguste lanceolato acuminato superne bicarinato carinis rubris, 
columna supra medium alata, basi antice tumida. 
P. platyrachis, Rolfe in Journ. Bot. 1890, p. 136 in note. 
Masdevallia platyrachis, Rolfe in Gard. Chron. 1888, pt. ii. p. 178. 
This is one of the largest and largest-flowered of the 
many species of the section of Pleurothallis to which it 
belongs; and it approaches so closely in habit to Masdevallia, 
that it was at first referred to that genus, from which 
the sepals free to the base distinguish it. It belongs to 
the stemless tufted section of the genus as defined by 
Lindley in his monograph of Pleurothallis, published inv 
his ‘Folia Orchidacea,’’ but is not very near to any 
hitherto described species. According to Bentham’s 
classification of the species in Genera Plantarum, it falls 
under his first section of ‘ Elongatz Floribundx.” No 
fewer than three hundred and fifty of its congeners are 
described by Lindley, of which very few were ever in culti- 
vation, though many are remarkable for the singularity 
(see P. insignis, pl. 6936), and some for the gem-like 
beauty and curious structure of their small flowers (see 
P. Reymondi, pl. 5385). | 
P. platyrachis was obtained at Kew, from Messrs. 
Shuttleworth, Carder and Oo., of Clapham, in 1884, and 
flowered in October of last year. ae : 
Descr. Stems tufted. Leaves five to six inches by about 
Aveust Ist, 1890. 
