} 
SERTULUM BONTOCENSE. 77 
breviter petiolatis, vaginis superioribus inflatis; racemis termin- 
alibus, suberectis vel nutantibus, bracteis calycibus subaequi- 
longis, persistentibus, bracteolis nullis; floribus roseis, 4 ad 4.5 
cm longis, petalis anterioribus alte connatis; labellum bifidum, 
membranaceum, lobis albidis, linearibus. 
A tall, erect, glabrous, coarse plant, with a strong anise-like 
odor, reaching a height of 4 m, the rhizome 5 cm in diameter, red 
outside, the stem green, 5 cm in diameter below, higher up 2 cm 
in diameter, and at the apex 1 to 1.5 cm thick. Leaves alternate, 
distichous, oblong, subcoriaceous, the lower ones rather short, 
gradually increasing in length upwards, the longest ones at the 
top of the stem, up to 40 cm long and 10 cm wide, the apex 
slenderly caudate-acuminate, the acumen about 5 cm long, the 
base acute or somewhat rounded and shortly decurrent-acu- 
minate, the petiole short, 1 cm long or less; nerves very 
numerous, slender, ascending, densely arranged; upper sheaths 
inflated, coriaceous, up to 20 cm long, when spread up to 6 cm 
wide, longitudinally striate, the upper ones tipped with much 
reduced leaves, or the uppermost one subtending the inflores- 
cence acuminate and with no vestige of a leaf. Inflorescence 
terminal, racemose, peduncled, at length nodding, the flower- 
bearing part up to 20 cm long. Flowers very numerous, about 
4.5 cm long, pink outside, white within, densely disposed, one to 
each bract, the bracts brown, oblong, persistent, somewhat boat- 
shaped, 2.5 to 3 cm long, 8 to 10 mm wide, much wrinkled when 
old; bracteoles wanting. Pedicels stout, 5 to 10 mm long, often 
twisted. Calyx in bud cylindric, in flower spathaceous, split 
down one side nearly to the base, above flattened and about 8 
mm wide, about 10-nerved, the apex with 3 oblong-ovate, obtuse, 
3 mm long teeth. Corolla-tube about 1.7 cm long, the posterior 
lobe narrowly oblong, 3 cm long, 6 to 7 mm wide, about 7-nerved, 
obtuse, slightly cucullate at the apex, flat below, the base boat- 
shaped, inclosing the stamen, the upper one-half ultimately 
reflexed or spreading; anterior lobes about as long as the pos- 
terior one and similar to it, united for one-third to one-half their 
length, keeled below the union, the free parts flat, 5- to 7-nerved, 
apex obtuse and slightly cucullate. Lip sessile, membranaceous, 
adnate to the anterior petals as high as the cleft along the middle, 
the margins free, narrow, cleft above the part united to the 
petals into two linear, thin, flexuous lobes about 1.8 cm long, 2 
mm wide below, narrowed upwards, the lobes about as long as 
the free parts of the anterior petals. Stamen somewhat curved, 
the filament stout, cylindric, about 2 cm long and 2.5 mm thick, 
