MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 53 
A NEW WHITE ORCHID FROM PANAMA 
Of the many Panamanian orchids presented to the Garden 
by Mr. C. W. Powell of Balboa, during the recent orchid 
expedition, the trichopilias were the most showy. Upwards 
of a hundred recently collected plants of this genus were be- 
ing established in Mr. Powell’s garden, and while examining 
these specimens he held up a coveted plant, remarking, ‘‘This 
is a pure albino variety. I will give you a piece for your 
collection in St. Louis. I feel sure that it will represent the 
only living specimen of its variety in the United States. I 
also have a rarer variety recently collected by myself, T'richo- 
pilia marginata var. alba. I will give you a piece of this rare 
variety also.’’ 
The genus Trichopilia includes over twenty species indi- 
genous from Mexico to South America, most of them being 
only of botanical importance. The handsomest species is rep- 
resented by Trichopilia suavis, the flowers of which may be 
compared to a small eattleya. Its growth, however, is entirely 
different, the flowers being produced from the base, whereas 
the flower spikes of the cattleyas are terminal. 
Inasmuch as the plants possess plump pseudobulbs they 
shipped well from the tropics and upon arrival in St. Louis 
of the plants from Mr. Powell they soon started to make their 
growth, establishing themselves within a few weeks. After 
making their growth most of the plants showed flowers, among 
which was the albino variety. The type species (plate 10) 
has a labellum with a beautiful mauve, spotted throat, the 
depth of color varying with the different plants. Trichopilia 
suavis var. alba (plate 11) has white sepals and petals, the 
labellum likewise being white suffused with yellow in its 
throat. 
In Panama the plants grow upon the trees in the crotches 
and upon the branches, forming large clumps. The pseudo- 
bulbs are crowded together on short rhizomes, ovate and com- 
pressed, bearing short elongated or lanceolate leaves six to ten 
inches long, one to each bulb, erect, prominently keeled. The 
flowers are white with a mauve-spotted lip, the white form 
being suffused with yellow. They are produced upon short, 
more or less procumbent scapes bearing two or four flowers. 
