viterque unguiculatum, conduplicato-canaliculatum, margine 
supra basin utrinque lateris columnae agglutinato; disco car- 
noso, vulgo discolori. Columna arcuata, sursum leviter dilatata, 
basi in pedem decurrentem, apice paululo incurva producta: 
stigmata 2, omnino confluentia, subquadrata; rostellum humile, 
haud productum, transversum, obtusum, apice vulgo persisten- 
ter foveato. Anthera ovato-elliptica acuta vel obtusa; pollinia 
anguste clavata, viscidio parvulo, rotundo. Ovarium cylindri- 
cum, vel fusiforme, sessile, leviter tortum. 
Herbae terrestres, spithameae, graciles; radicibus tuberosis, 
villosis; foliis basilaribus vel subbasilaribus, suboppositis, petio- 
latis; caulibus erectis, vulgo vaginis imbricatis obtectis, supra 
laxe multifloris; floribus minutis. 
Sepals subsimilar, parallel, with somewhat diverging apices; 
dorsal sepal concave, adnate to back of column: lateral sepals 
oblique at base without forming a mentum. Petals agglutinate 
with dorsal sepal, obliquely decurrent at base. Lip with a broad 
short claw, conduplicate-canaliculate, the margins above the 
base agglutinate with sides of column; disc fleshy, commonly 
discolored. Column arcuate, somewhat expanded upwards, bas- 
ally produced in a decurrent, incurved foot; stigmata 2, com- 
pletely confluent, subquadrate; rostellum low, hardly noticeable, 
transverse, commonly with a persistent fovea. Anther ovate- 
elliptic, obtuse or acute; pollinia narrowly clavate, with a small, 
round viscidium. Ovary cylindric to fusiform, sessile, somewhat 
twisted. 
Terrestrial, small, slender herbs. Roots tuberous, villose. 
Leaves basal or subbasal, subopposite, petiolate. Stem erect, 
commonly enclosed by imbricating sheaths, loosely many- 
flowered above. Flowers small. 
TYPE: Spiranthes minutiflora Rich. & Gal. 
Three species native to Mexico, Guatemala and Costa Rica. 
Index to species 
Microthelys minutiflora (Rich. & Gal.) Garay, comb. nov. 
Basionym: Spiranthes minutiflora Rich. & Gal. in Ann. Sci. Nat. ser. 
3,3:32, 1845. 
ooF 
