regarded as the terminating phases of one strain of a poly- 
morphic species. 
In general it may be said that no sharp line of de- 
marcation can be found in either the floral or vegetative 
characters exhibited by H'pidendrum ramosum. The size 
of the flower, the texture of the flower, and the form of 
the floral segments vary in any one of the forms. The 
inflorescence in any proposed concept varies in density, 
in the number of flowers, and in spread. The bracts of 
the inflorescence range widely in size, in the degree of 
conduplication or convolution, in being strongly carinate 
to perfectly rounded and ecarinate on the outer surface, 
in the presence or lack of maculation and in several other 
characters that might bementioned. The vegetative char- 
acters are quite as variable. They range from a small 
rather strict form to a lax, weak and much branched form, 
as well as toa stouter, more or less branched variant 
(12. modestiflorum). In the var. imbricatum, there is also 
decided variation in the height and branching of the 
plant, but the stems are consistently robust. In var. mia- 
tum, the habit is extremely variable, ranging from the 
very stout, tall, heavily branched type of LZ’. mixtum to 
specimens from Guatemala collected by Johnson (no. 552) 
and from Honduras collected by J.B. Kdwards (nos. 67, 
71 and 245). The specimens are habitally similar to the 
typical form of L7.ramosum. Even the characters of the 
column and of the callus are variable and show intergra- 
dation between recognized forms. 
A short discussion of the salient characters of the 
several forms described as species should be helpful. 
Li. flexicaule Schitr. of which the type was collected 
by C. Wercklé at La Palma in Costa Rica differs from 
the typical West Indian form of /7.ramosum in having 
rather weaker stems that appear to be normally less 
branched. 
[ 43 ] 
