of the species. 
Hrabenaria alata is widespread and polymorphic. It 
is common in the West Indies and has appeared again 
and again in collections received from Mexico, Guate- 
mala, Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama and South America. 
The narrowly lanceolate, obliquely ascending leaves; the 
conspicuously winged ovary with the edges of the wings 
minutely papillose, and the more or less connivent sepals 
with minutely papillose margins, are constant characters. 
The labellum, however, is variable. Commonly it has a 
triangular protuberance on each side near the base. Some- 
times these protuberances are so strongly developed that 
they give to the labellum a three-lobed appearance, but 
frequently they are so much reduced that they become 
inconspicuous or obsolete. Lacking other substantial dif- 
ferences, the absence from the labellum of lateral protu- 
berances is a trivial characteristic by which to segregate 
species. 
DepartTMENT oF Comayacua, North of Siguatepeque. Terrestrial 
in open pine forest at 3,400 feet altitude. October 6,1932. Edwards 280. 
ILLusTRATION: 1, flower drawn with the aid of the camera lucida, 
enlarged about two times. 2, flower drawn with the lateral sepals spread 
apart. 3, labellum, spur and column, drawn with the aid of the camera 
lucida, enlarged about four times. 4, a section taken from the margin 
of a sepal to show papillose character. 5, petal about four times life-size. 
Drawn July 1934 from flowers of Edwards 280 by Buancue Ames. 
2. Habenaria clypeata Lindley, Gen. & Sp. Orch. 
Pl. (18385) 311. 
Habenaria lactifiora A. Richard & Galeotti in Ann. 
Sci. Nat. ser. 8, 8 (1845) 28. 
The specimens referred to _H.clypeata are perplexing 
because several of them approach the type of HZ. lactiflora. 
The Jateral segments of the labellum are basal or some- 
times, together with the mid-lobe or middle segment, 
separated from the base of the labellum by a well-devel- 
[21] 
