BasIS FOR MY CONCEPTION OF THE VARIETY: An ex- 
amination of the type of Ibidium floridanum in U.S. 
Nat. Herb. ; also examination of other material collected 
and distributed by Wherry under the name of J. flori- 
danum. 
DescriPrion: Similar to the species except for the 
lip having a yellow (instead of green) center and having 
persistent leaves which are much narrower and elongate. 
The variety also differs markedly from the species in 
that the spike is secund (rarely spiral). 
Plant glabrous (occasionally sparsely pubescent 
above), 1.4—5.5 dm. tall; stem and leaves light green or 
yellowish green. Lateral sepals narrowly lanceolate, acu- 
minate, projecting horizontally and conspicuously beyond 
the arcuate-decurved lip. Petals often irregularly eroded 
near the apex. Lip ovate to ovate-oblong, truncate or 
rarely retuse; median portion of the dise yellow (rarely 
with an obsolete tuft of hairs on the disc near the apex); 
basal callosities stout or slender. 
CoMMENTsS: In 1931, Wherry (in Journ. Wash. 
Acad. Sci. 21, p. 49) segregated Ibidium floridanum from 
I. gracile (Bigel.) House, stating: ‘‘... search for mor- 
phological differences between them has not been partic- 
ularly successful. They are, however, more or less distinct 
in flower color, sepal length, habitat, range, and blooming 
period, and show no evident intergradation.’’ Further- 
more, he said that the ranges of the two species barely 
overlap. He limited the range of distribution southward 
for I. gracile to South Carolina and east-central Alabama. 
On April 6, 1938, I collected a number of specimens 
of Spiranthes gracilis near Gainesville, Alachua County, 
Florida. The lip of the flowers on all of these plants had 
the characteristic vividly green markings of S. gracilis. 
During the same week a number of collections of var. 
[77 ] 
