CESTICHIS HALCONENSIS 



Cestichis (§Laxiflora3) halconensis Ames in Philipp. Journ. 

 Sci {Bot) 2: 321 (1907). 



"A very distinct bifoliate species, about 3 dm. high. Pseudobulbs 

 about 1.5 cm. long, somewhat cylindrical, covered by 4 or 5 

 distichous, acute sheaths when immature. Leaves oblong-lanceo- 

 late, very acute, 15-20 cm. or more long, about 3 cm. wide, con- 

 tracted into a vfing^d petiole. Peduncle graceful, strongly bialate, 

 exceeding the leaves. Lowermost bracts elongated, linear-acute, 

 1-1.5 cm. long, those of the inflorescence about half as long as 

 the slender pedicels. Pedicels of the lowermost flowers 1.5 cm. 

 long. Injlorescence loosely many-flowered. Flowers grass-green, 

 turning yellow with age. Lateral sepals oblong, very obtuse, 

 5 mm. long, 2 mm. wide. Upper sepal similar to the laterals. 

 Petals linear, 5 mm. long, about 1 mm. wide. Labellum 5.5 mm. 

 long, suborbicular from an oblong-cuneate base; distal margin 

 crenulate and obscurely blunt-mucronate ; in the middle of the 

 claw is a fleshy subcucullate callus. Column 3 mm. long, rather 

 slender, strongly arcuate near the summit." — Ames, loc. cit. 



Philippine Islands: Terrestrial in ridge forest at 1200-2200 ft. alt. on 

 Mt. Halcon, Mindoro, November 8, 1906, E. D. Merrill (no. 5799). 



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