OECHIDACEAE. 89 



1. Polystachya minuta (Aubl.) Britton; Small, Fl. SE. TL S. 328, 1329. 1903. 



Epidendrum minutum Aubl. PI. Guian. 2: 824. 1775. 

 Dendrobium polystachyum Sw. Act. Holm. 21: 247. 1800. 

 Cranichis luteola Sw. Fl. Ind. Oec. 3: 1433. 1806. 

 Polystachya luteola Hook. Exot. Fl. pi. 103. 1825. 



Stems rather slender, 2-6 dm. long. Sheaths many-striate, 2-4 cm. long; 

 leaves oblong or linear-oblong, 6-30 cm. long, 1-3 cm. wide, acute or obtuse, 

 shorter than the stem; panicle 3 dm. long or less, sometimes reduced to a 

 single raceme; racemes rather densely several-many-flowered; bracts acute, 

 about 2 mm. long; flowers greenish-yellow; buds obliquely 3-angled; median 

 sepal ovate, 3-4 mm. long, the lateral ones oblique, a little longer; petals nar- 

 rowly spatulate, shorter than the sepals; lip about 4 mm. long, glandular-hairy 

 within, the median lobe emarginate, the lateral lobes incurved; capsule 10-12 

 mm. long. 



On trees in coppices, Abaco, Andros and New Providence : Florida ; Cuba to 

 Virgin Gorda, south to Trinidad and South America. Large Polystachya. Catesby, 

 2 : pi. 55. 



2. Polystachya foliosa (Hook.) Kchb. f.; Walp. Ann. Bot. 6: 640. 1863. 



Stelis foliosa Hook. Ann. Nat. Hist. 2: 330. 1839. 



Stems slender, 2 dm. long or less. Sheaths striate, 1-3 cm. long; leaves 

 usually 2, linear or linear-lanceolate, 5-16 em. long, 3-8 mm. wide, obtuse or 

 minutely 2-3-toothed at the apex, shorter than or equalling the stem ; racemes 

 1-5, narrow, rather densely several-many-flowered; flowers yellow or yellowish; 

 bracts acute or acuminate, 1-2 mm. long; median sepal ovate, about 1.5 mm. 

 long; lateral sepals broadly ovate, about 2 mm. long; petals spatulate, 

 rounded, 1.5-2 mm. long; lip nearly 2 mm. long, obovate, its lateral lobes 

 incurved, not much smaller than the median one. 



On tree-trunks, Andros : Grenada ; Trinidad ; northern South America. Small 

 Polystachya. 



11. SPATHIGER Small, Fl. Miami 55. 1913. 



Epiphytic, usually branched, creeping or pendent orchids, with slender 

 leafy stems, narrow sessile leaves and small flowers in the axils of spathe-like 

 bracts, forming terminal spikes ; pseudobulbs none. Leaves duplicate in the 

 bud, the blades not plaited, jointed at the base. Lateral sepals broader than 

 the median one. Petals scarcely broader than the sepals. Lip reniform or 

 nearly orbicular, concave. Column adnate to the lip. Pollinia 4, appendaged. 

 [Greek, spathe-bearing.] About 10 species of tropical and subtropical 

 America, the following typical. 



1. Spathiger rigidus (Jacq.) Small, Fl. Miami 55. 1913. 



Epidendrum rigidum Jacq. Enum. 29. 1760. 



Often much branched, 5 dm. long or less. Leaves oblong or linear-oblong, 

 subcoriaceous, 3-8 cm. long; flowers greenish-white; lateral sepals ovate, about 

 6 mm. long; petals narrowly spatulate or oblong; blade of the lip about 3 

 mm. long, suborbicular, with callosities near the base; capsule about 1.5 cm. 

 long. 



On trees, New Providence : Florida ; Jamaica ; Hispaniola ; Guadeloupe to 

 Trinidad ; continental tropical America. 



