resupinate. When male and female flowers of certain 
species of Catasetum are produced simultaneously in a 
single raceme, the males are resupinate and the females 
non-resupinate. In Robert H. Schomburgk’s famous 
paper published in the Transactions of the Linnean So- 
ciety of London in 1887, the plate illustrating Catasetum 
barbatum shows both male and female flowers in the same 
raceme. (cf. illustration opposite p. 162) The males, with 
the fringed labellum lowermost; the fleshy females, with 
the deeply saccate or ventricose labellum uppermost, are 
just the reverse of what one would expect as a result of 
gravitational influence. ‘hey seem to indicate a selective 
response. This rare and abnormal association of male and 
female flowers in the same raceme throws light on the 
taxonomic significance of resupination in the Orchidaceae 
and in conjunction with the evidence of floral position as 
a physiological manifestation indicates that twisting of 
the ovaries is in no sense a symbol of specificity. 
Before the true significance of flower-form and resu- 
pination in Catasetum was understood, there was a wilder- 
ness of error in the interpretation of generic and specific 
limits. John Lindley, in his treatment of the species now 
grouped under Catasetum (relying in part on resupina- 
tion as a generic character), recognized three genera, 
namely, Catasetum, Monachanthus and Myanthus. In 
Myanthus the labellum, through resupination, consti- 
tuted the lowermost segment of the perianth; in Cata- 
setum the labellum was uppermost. In both concepts 
the column was typified by having a pair of antennae or 
eirrhi (columna bicirrhosa). These genera proved to be 
composed of males. In Monachanthus the labellum consti- 
tuted the uppermost segment of the perianth and the 
column was different from that of Catasetum and M yan- 
thus in lacking antennae or cirrhi (columna mutica). The 
genus Monachanthus proved to be composed of females. 
[ 161 ] 
