82 ORCHIDS OF JAMAICA 



29. ARPOPHYLLUM Llav. & Lex. 



Epiphytic herb. Stems erect from a creeping rhizome, with 

 one leaf at the apex, and covered below the leaf with ample 

 sheaths. Leaf leathery, very long, folded together at the base, 

 but not closed into a sheath. Peduncle terminal with one or 

 two sheaths above the leaf ; spike long, dense, cylindrical, with 

 numerous medium-sized shortly stalked or stalkless flowers. 

 Bracts very small. Sepals of nearly equal length, free among 

 themselves, spreading, the lateral a little broader than the 

 median, concave at the base, adnate to the foot of the column. 

 Lip attached to the foot of the column, concave and somewhat 

 saccate quite at the base, above the swelling contracted and 

 incumbent, then erect ; crenulate on the margin above. Column 

 erect, slightly bent, not winged, produced at the base into a 

 short foot ; clinanclrium little dilated, rostellum shorter. Anther 

 opercular, incumbent, subglobose, 2-celled ; pollinia 8, four in 

 each cell, obovoid, acute or shortly acuminate, cohering into two 

 groups by a sparse viscid substance. Capsule ellipsoidal, 3-keeled, 

 3 -ribbed. 



Species 5, natives of Jamaica, Mexico and Guatemala. 



A. giganteum Hartweg ex Lindl. in Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 

 iv. 384 (1840); Beichenb. f. in Waif. Ann, vi. 448. (PI. 14, 

 f . 4-9 ) 



On rocks ; in fl. March-May; Old England, 4000 ft., J.P. 26, Morris ! 

 Harris ! Fl. Jam. 7652. Mexico, Guatemala. 



Plant 2 ft. high and over. Rhizome about 8 mm. thick, covered with 

 sheaths, sending out very long stout roots. Stem 14-25 cm. 1., compressed, 

 of three or four long joints ; sheaths short at base, increasing above to 

 11 cm. 1. Leaves ligulate, flat above, keeled, 4-5 dm. 1., 2 to nearly 3 cm. br. 

 Peduncle 10-15 cm. 1. to base of spike ; spathe at base 9-13 cm. 1. Spike 

 14-15 cm. 1. Bracts triangular, acuminate, sterile, lowest clasping, 

 13-15 mm. 1., higber 2*5-5 mm. 1., floral 1*5 mm. 1. Floivers light purple, 

 stalkless, perianth J- in. 1. Sepals, lateral witb 3 nerves branching from 

 base, ovate-oblong, obtuse, sligbtly oblique, 6 mm. 1., about 3 mm. br. at 

 base; median 3-nerved, oblong, obtuse, 5*5 mm. 1., 2 mm. br. Petals, 

 1 median nerve \fitb a few pinnate nerves, oblanceolate-linear, apex 

 rounded, margin erose above, about 5*5 mm. 1., 1*6 mm. br. Lip about 

 5' 5 mm. 1., 7-nerved, not divided, hooded and erose above. Column 

 3*5-4 mm. 1. Capsule 7-8 mm. 1. 



30. EPIDENDRUM Sw. 



Epiphytic herbs. Stems leafy, sometimes fleshy, or at length 

 thickened into a pseudobulb, sometimes thinner, sometimes 

 branching. Leaves leathery or more rarely grass-like. Peduncle 

 terminal on a leafy stem, simple or paniculate. Flowers medium- 

 sized or somewhat small, racemose on a simple rachis or the 

 branches of a panicle, shortly stalked, with small or narrow 

 bracts, more rarely crowded on a very short, sessile raceme with 



