LiMNORCHIS AM) PiPKRIA NORiri Ol- MkXICO 



617 



Fir,. 4. 



Stem 2-5 dm. high : tubers elongate fusiform, 5-7 mm. thick : 

 lower leaves 5-15 cm. long, 2-3 cm. wide, oblanceolate, obtuse ; 

 the upper lanceolate, acute : spike short 

 and dense ; bracts linear-lanceolate, the 

 lower slightly exceeding the flowers : 

 flowers 10—12 mm. long, light green: 

 upper sepal broadly ovate, erect, 3—4 

 mm. long ; lateral ones 5-6 mm. long, 

 lanceolate, acutish or obtuse, spreading ; 

 petals erect, lanceolate, acute, slight!)' 

 shorter than the upper sepal ; lip lan- 

 ceolate, obtuse, less than 5 mm. long ; spur decidedly clavate, 

 curved, about equalling the lip. (Fig. 4.) 



This species is closely related to the true L. Jiypci'lwrca, and is 

 its representative in the west. It differs only in the lighter green 

 flower and the^thicker and shorter spur. It is also related to L. 

 horcalis on the other hand, and it is no wonder that Chamisso 

 made it a variety ^of that species, as it differs only in the green 

 flowers and more saccate spur. Intermediate forms are met with ; 

 these [are 'perhaps of hybrid origin. L. viridiflora is common in 

 the Rocky Mountain regions and the Cascades. Its range ex- 

 tends from southern Alaska to North Dakota, central Nebraska 

 and Colorado, and is the common plant of the West, known as 

 Habenaria Jiypcrborea. Numerous specimens have been examined. 



Type : " Unalaschca," Chamisso. 



5. Limnorchis major (Lange) 

 Platanthci-d~^Kocnign Lindley, Gen. & Sp. Orchid. PI. 286. 



1835. Not [6>rr///5 Kooiigii Retz. 1779; PlatantJiera dilatata 



Torr. Fl. N. Y. 2 : 276, in part. 1843 ; 

 Habcnaiia Jiypcrborea Gray, Man. Ed. 

 5: 500, in part. 1867; Platanthcra 

 hypcrborea (i major Lange, Consp. Fl. 

 Groenl. 118. 1880; Limnorchis Jiypcr- 

 borea Rydb. ; Britton, Man. Fl. N. St. 

 294. 1 90 1, in part. 



Stem stout, 2—6 dm. high : leaves 

 lanceolate, mostly acute, 5-30 cm. long, 



1.5-4 cm. wide: spike dense, 5-15 cm. long; bracts lanceolate, 



the lower slightly exceeding the flowers: flowers 12—14 mm. 



long : upper sepal broadly ovate, obtuse, 5 mm. long ; the 



Fig. 5. 



