An examination of an analytical drawing in the Ames 
Herbarium of a specimen of M./histrio from the Reichen- 
bach Herbarium shows flowers which, except for the 
lack of pilosity on the lip (a character of no diagnostic 
value because of its variability), are identical with those 
illustrated as M./ineatum in the Botanical Register. The 
twisted lobes of the lip are nearly as long as the mid-lobe. 
From the above it would seem that Bateman’s de- 
scription of M.lineatwm must have been based on either 
the Skinner or the Hartweg collection, but not on both; 
the following year the other collection, an entirely dif- 
ferent species, produced flowers and was forthwith illus- 
trated but erroneously designated as M. lineatum. This 
plant was in reality the species later described as M, 
histrio. 
It may be concluded that the plant illustrated in the 
Botanical Register should be known as M./histrio rather 
than M. lineatum. Also, specimens which in the past 
have been attributed to M.lneatum, based on this illus- 
tration, are in reality M. hastrio. It is necessary for one 
to go back to Bateman’s original description to obtain 
a clear conception of the true M.lineatum. 
A recent collection from Guatemala (Steyermark 
89868) was found to have flowers whose lip (fig. 1) is 
identical in shape with that originally ascribed to M. 
lineatum. So far as we know, this is the only collection 
of this species since it was originally described one hun- 
dred years ago. It is evidently endemic to Guatemala 
where it is extremely rare, while M. histrio, also quite 
rare, occurs in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. 
Mormodes lineatum Bateman ex Lindley in Bot. 
Reg. 27 (1841) Mise. p. 52. 
GuATEMALA—Guatemala: Guatemala City, alt. 1600 meters, cul- 
tivated in the garden of Don Mariano Pachecho Dec. 29, 1939, J. 
[15 ] 
