ERIA GRACILISCAPA 



Eria (§Hymeneria) graciliscapa Rolfe ex Ames Orchidace^, 

 Fasc. I. p. 93 (1905) and Fasc. ii. p. 193 (1908). 



Roots copiously branched, finely hairy. Stems slender, terete, 

 11.5-19 cm. long, sheathed by several tubular acute bracts. 

 Leaves 3-4, terminal, oblong-lanceolate, acute, nervose, scarcely 

 petiolate, 6-8.5 cm. long, 1.2-1.9 cm. wide. Peduncles axillary 

 near the summit of the stem, slender, many-flowered, 6-7 cm. 

 long. Bracts lanceolate, acute, scarious (in dried specimens), 

 ±2 mm. long. Flowers white. Lateral sepals 5 mm. long, 1 mm. 

 wide, linear-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, subacute or obtuse, 

 3-nerved. Upper sepal similar to the laterals. Petals linear-lance- 

 olate, obtuse, subfalcate, about 3 mm. long. Lahellum entire, 

 about 2 mm. long, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, 3-nerved, the 

 lateral nerves carinate. Column rather stout, about 1 mm. long. 



Philippine Islands : On Mt. Mariveles, Prov. of Bataan, Luzon, May, 

 1904, H. N. Wh'itford (no. 307). — Near the same locality it was collected on 

 May 22, 1904, by D. LeRoy Topping (no. 474), and on May 25, 1904, by 

 Thomas E. Borden (no. 795). Borden reports that his specimens bore white, 

 fragrant flowers and were gathered on mountain ridges at 1150 m. above 

 sea level. 



In aspect E. graciliscapa recalls E. tenuifolia Ridley, a spe- 

 cies which has naiTOwer leaves and broader floral segments. Whit- 

 ford says of the type that it was found both epiphytic and on 

 the ground, 3000 feet above sea level. 



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