60 ORCHIDACE^ 



Stem short, leafless, about 1 cm. long, nearly concealed by the 

 rambling, glaucous roots which are 5 mm. wide. Peduncles rather 

 stout, about 2 mm. thick, 6-15 cm. long, those of previous years 

 persistent. Bracts approximate, obtuse, sheathing the scape, 5-7 

 mm. long. Inflorescence several-flowered, flowers blooming in 

 succession. Lateral sepals linear-lanceolate, acute, 23-25 mm. long, 

 5 mm. wide. Upper sepal similar to the petals, 19-21 mm. long, 5 

 mm. wide. Petals linear-lanceolate, 21-24 mm. long. Body of lip 

 2.3-2.7 cm. long, cymbaeform, with a thickened keel-like median 

 callus within at the base, divided at the apex into two curved 

 ligulate-lanceolate, acute lobes 4.5 cm. long; apiculate between 

 the lobes, and with two small obtuse lobes posterior to them ; 

 spur slender, attenuate, 10.5-11.5 cm. long. Column short, 3 mm. 

 long, with 2 acute prominent triangular wings which project down 

 into the lip and conceal the stigmatic surface. Anther round-reni- 

 form, or merely emarginate in front, imperfectly 2-celled. Sepals 

 and petals yellowish green, lip white. Fruit an elongated capsule, 

 6-8 cm. long, 6-7 mm. thick. Flowers fragrant, recalling the 

 odor of Co?ivallaria majalis. 



Dendroj^hylax Lindenii is a variable species in the size of the 

 flowers and in the length of the spur and peduncle, and sometimes 

 produces a much-branched, many-flowered inflorescence. In my 

 herbarium there is a specimen with seven flowers on a seven-branched 

 peduncle, collected in Florida in June, 1904. The plants are leaf- 

 less, and the roots, which are always dorsiventral and closely ap- 

 pressed to the bark over which they creep extensively, are provided 

 with permeable places which permit the interchange of gases. The 

 roots are provided with chlorophyll and serve as the only organs 

 of assimilation, a phenomenon which also obtains in Campylocen- 

 trum porrectum, an orchid already described on another page. In 

 the fresh state the roots show longitudinal broken lines of white, 

 which indicate the permeable places just referred to. On the west 

 coast of Florida where I have collected this species, the plants are 

 often abundant, their roots reaching several feet in length and 

 intermingling with the roots of adjacent Dendrophylax plants so 



