4 ORCHIDACE^ 



basi fibris e vaginarum solutione, vaginisque duabus arctis mem- 

 branaceis acutis aphyllis striatis ferrugineo-punctatis praediti, 

 caeterum apbylli ; alii (primum floreiites) 3-4 pollices longi, alii 

 (maturo fructu prsediti) pedales, nee vero illis crassiores. Spica 

 (feminea ?) tenera 2-3 lineas longa, li pollicis spatio infra apicem 

 culmi compressum emergens, linearis, angusta, pallida. Squamse 

 distiche imbricatae, membranaceae, pallidae, fusco-irroratae, sub- 

 quadratae, truncatae, denticulatae, basi contracta rhacbin amplec- 

 tentes, alternae, obsolete striatae. Perianthium nullum apparuit. 

 Stamina non inveni. Pistilli initia ex ovata basi conieo-apiculata, 

 nuda, rhacbeos lateri appressa. Fructus maturi in rbacbi sesqui- 

 pollicari, culmi apicem aequante, incurva comf)ressa, alternatim ad 

 latera planiora dentataque sessiles, seminis coriandri magnitudine, 

 globosi, laeves, suturis tribus e linea gemina impressa constantibus 

 notati, mucrone obtuso crasso in tres partes cum valvulis solubili 

 coronati, laeves, straminei, cartilaginei, capsulares, ad basin usque 

 loculicido-trivalves, uniloculares. Placentae ventrales, tenues. Se- 

 mina creberrima, minuta, fusiformia, medio incurva, infero fine 

 truncato, supero acuto. Testa laxa, reticulata; nucleus ovalis, 

 luteus." — Nees & Meyen, loc. cit. 



To tbe generic description sbould be added : Sepals oblong- 

 lanceolate. Petals rliomboid-spathulate. Lip concave at tbe base, 

 3-lobed, lateral lobes erect. Column witbout wings, but witb a 

 rostellar projection or beak in front, below tbe cHnandrium. Mar- 

 gin of tbe clinandrium entire. Pollinia 4. 



Plants caespitose. Roots fibrous, wbitisb. Stems thickened at 

 base, clothed below witb scarious acute bracts, striate and angled. 

 Leaves nearly terete, linear, sedge-like, about 3 dm. long, ema- 

 nating with the peduncle from an elongated tubular bract. The 

 slender peduncle free below, mostly concealed, appearing to arise 

 from near tbe summit of the leaf. Lowermost bracts of the rhachis 

 approximate, imbricate, those subtending the flowers about 1 mm. 

 apart, 1 mm. long, half as long as the flowers, concealing the pedi- 

 cels and ovaries, scarious, broader than long, deltoid-ovate, obtuse, 

 obscurely denticulate, persistent. Pedicel and ovary .5 mm. long. 



