Tap. 8853. 
PLEUROTHALLIS cranps. 
Costa Rica. 
OrcHIDACEAE. Tribe ErpripRENDREAE. 
PrevroTHatuis, R. Br. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 488. 
Pleurothallis (§ Macrophyllae Racemosae) grandis, Rolfe in Kew Bulletin, 
1918, p. 234; affinis P. lamellari, Lindl., sed scapis longioribus erectis et 
floribus duplo majoribus facile distinguenda. 
Herba epiphytica, circiter 50 cm. alta. Cauwles elongati, cylindrici, 30-40 cm. 
longi, vaginis paucis tubulosis carinatis 7-9 cm. longis obtecti. Folia 
sessilia, subcordato-ovata, subobtusa, coriacea, 17-22 cm. longa, 9-17 cm. 
lata. Spatha lanceolato-oblonga, acuta, conduplicata, 3 cm. longa. 
Scapi erecti, 45 cm. longi; racemi multiflori; bracteae ovatae, subacutae 
vel apiculatae, conduplicato-concavae, circiter 1 cm, longae; pedicelli 
arcuati, verruculosi, 1:5 cm. longi. Flores secundi, patentes, pro genere 
magni, brunneo-suffusi. Sepalwm posticum suberectum, lineari-lanceo- 
latum, subobtusum, 2°8 cm. longum, basi subconcavum, margine revolu- 
tum; sepala lateralia alte connata, oblonga, subconcava, 3 cm. longa, 1°2 
em. lata, apice biloba, lobis subobtusis. Petala parallela, oblonga, obtusa, 
coriacea, 1 em. longa, supra medium valde incurva. Labellum ovato- 
oblongum, obtusum, 2 cm. longum, basi dilatatum, ad latera involutum 
et verruculosum, apice abrupte incurvum; discus carnosus. — Columna 
clavata, 5 mm. longa.—R. A. Roure. 
The large and very distinct Plewrothallis here figured 
‘ig a native of Costa Rica, where it was discovered near 
Cachi by Mr. C. H. Lankester. A living plant was sent 
to Kew, together with several other interesting Orchids, 
and first flowered in the collection in September, 1917, 
when the annexed drawing was made. It belongs to 
Lindley’s group Macrophyllae Macemosae, and is most 
comparable to the Bolivian P. lamellaris, Lindl., though 
the flowers are over twice as large. It is one of the 
comparatively few species of a large and very poly- 
morphic Tropical American genus, now numbering at 
least 500 species, which possesses horticultural merit. 
About a dozen of them have been figured in this 
work at various times, but none of these are very nearly 
allied to the present one. The treatment called for in 
Juny-SepreMBeER, 1920. 
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