A NEW BLETIA FROM MEXICO 
BY 
OAKES AMES AND CHARLES SCHWEINFURTH 
AMONG several orchids submitted by the New York 
Botanical Garden for determination, the following species 
from the Mexican state of Chiapas appears to be unde- 
scribed. Its very slender habit serves to distinguish it 
from all the other members of the genus. Moreover, the 
small flowers with shallow sinuses between the lobes of 
the lip differentiate it from the nearest allies, Bletia Pott- 
siti S.Wats. and B. tuberosa (.) Ames. 
Bletia tenuifolia Ames & Schweinfurth, sp. nov. 
Herba gracilis. Cormus subglobosus. Folia quattuor vel 
plura, angustissime linearia. Scapus folia paulo superans, 
saepissime subpaniculatus. Flores laxi. Sepalum dorsale 
lanceolato-ellipticum, acutum. Sepala lateralia oblique 
elliptico-lanceolata, acuta. Petala oblique elliptica vel 
ovalia. Labellum in circuitu ovatum, prope apicem tri- 
lobatum; lobi laterales semiovati; lobus medius suborbi- 
cularis; discus quinquecarinatus. Columna generis. 
Roots fibrous, coarse, flexuous, glabrous, longitudi- 
nally suleate when dry. Rhizome apparently creeping. 
Corm subglobose, about 1.2 em. long, rugose, shining, 
covered with the fibrous remains of sheaths. Leaves four 
to five in a cluster, very narrowly linear, articulated to 
convolute sheaths which in turn are loosely enveloped by 
several imbricating nervose scarious leaf-bearing sheaths; 
blades 15-83.5 cm. long, up to 8 mm. wide, complicate- 
acuminate, 3-nerved, erect-spreading. Scape up to 46 em. 
high, somewhat surpassing the leaves, slender, concealed 
at base by three short imbricating nervose sheaths and 
above by about three remote appressed tubular sheaths. 
Rachis commonly subpaniculate with a single basal 
branch, up to 15 em. long (the apical flowers in our 
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