Recently Dr. R. Mansfeld (in Fedde Repert. 28 
(1980)94) identified a species from Nanchital in the State 
of Vera Cruz, Mexico, as being reterable to Mpidendrum 
prostratum (Lindl. ) Cogn., thus bringing this doubtful 
species into the flora of Middle America, but from the 
specimen I have examined, the Mexican plant appears to 
be reterable to 2. physodes and is in the same alliance 
with F.cystosum. From Lindley’s analysis of his Phy- 
singa prostrata it is very evident that the structure of 
the labellum and its vesicular pouch differ markedly from 
what obtains in Npidendrum physodes and in the Mexi- 
can species associated with Physinga prostrata by Dr. 
Mansfeld. 
Unfortunately only two specimens of Apidendrum 
cystosum (excluding an inflorescence in alcohol), have 
been available for study. Each specimen consists of a 
single leafy stem terminated by an elongated, peduncu- 
late inflorescence. From these specimens it is not at all 
clear that the stems were densely caespitose, but an ad- 
hering fragment found at the base of one of the stems 
indicates that a densely caespitose habit may be typical 
of this species. 
In the accompanying illustration the single stem 
represented may have been taken from a tuft of stems 
separated by the collector to facilitate the preparation of 
dried specimens. The drawings of the flower and the 
details of the expanded portion of the labellum were 
made with the aid of an inflorescence preserved in alcohol 
and show that the labellum in a fresh state is conspicu- 
ously thickened along the nerves. 
Epidendrum cystosum Ames, sp. nov. 
Herba epiphytica, verisimiliter caespitosa, humilis, 
gracilis. Radices fibratae, elongatae, carnosae. glabrae, 
patentes. Caules erecti, complanati, paucifoliati, vaginis 
[106 | 
