PHYSURUS PURPUREUS 



Physurus purpureas Ames in J. D. Smith Enum, PL Guate- 

 vial. pt. VII. p. 50, nos. 8000 and 8759 (1905), nomen; Orchida- 

 CE^, Fasc. II. p. 259 (1908). 



Plant leafy near the base, slender, from an elongated creeping 

 rhizome. Leaves dark red- violet in color, about 6 in number, 

 membranaceous, conspicuously 3-nerved when dry, lanceolate, 

 acute, tapering at the base, 4-5 cm. long, 1.5-2 cm. v^idie', petiole 

 slender above, dilated into loose nervose sheaths which embrace 

 the slender stem. Stem above the leaves 14 cm. long, silky-pu- 

 bescent, clothed at intervals by linear-lanceolate acute bracts. 

 Raceme 6.5 cm. long, rather loosely many-flowered. Floral 

 bracts about equalling the ovaries, exceeded by the fruit. Ovaiies 

 sparsely hairy. Lateral sepals sparsely pubescent, linear-oblong, 

 obtuse, 1 -nerved, 4 mm. long, 1 mm. wide. Upper sepal similar 

 to the laterals. Petals similar to the lateral sepals, smooth. La- 

 bellum prolonged into a cylindrical spur at base, narrowed above 

 the spur into a grooved mesochilj epichil a lunate or bifalcate 

 minutely denticulate mucronatej^/a/^, 4 mm. wide; spur 3.5 mm. 

 long. 



The specific name of the plant alludes to the color of the leaves, 

 which in life, according to the collector's observations, were dark 

 red-violet. P. pu?pureus was collected by H. von Tuerckheim 

 in Cubilquitz, Guatemala, in June, 1904. The type specimen (in 

 herb. Ames) bears the number 8759. 



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