110 



ORCHIDACE^ 



Leaves about four in number, distichous, ensiform, acute, about 

 3 mm. broad, up to 7 cm. long, margins finely scabrate. Pedun- 

 cle sometimes branched from near the 

 base and foliate, about three times longer 

 than the leaves, purplish below, brac- 

 teate. Bracts scarious, or purpUsh tinged, 

 4—8 mm. long, sheathing, acute, the up- 

 permost shorter than the lower ones and 

 barely sheathing. Pedicel and ovary to- 

 gether about 12 mm. long. Lateral sepals 

 coherent except at the tips, together form- 

 ing a spathulate blade beneath the lip, 

 6 mm. long. Upper sepal similar to the 

 united laterals, spathulate, retuse, apicu- 

 late, pale green or whitish obscurely 

 barred with brown-purple. Petals 8 mm. 

 long, orbicular, with an oblong claw, 

 apical half white, faintly suffused with 

 crimson-magenta, basal half greenish 

 barred with brown or brown-purple. Lip 

 11 mm. long, 3-lobed ; lateral lobes white, comparatively minute, 

 obovate, recurved, separated from the white broadly reniform 

 middle lobe by a serrated or dentate yellow-spotted isthmus ; 

 crest yellow, somewhat resembling a fleur-de-lis, several-tubercled, 

 the posterior tubercles rounded, three in number, larger than the 

 anterior ones. Wings of the column conspicuous, about 4 mm. 

 long, obscurely lobed, truncate above, rounded below, purple- 

 tinged. Anther crimson-magenta. 



Oncidium vakiegatum, Sw. 



This Oncidium, which is closely allied to 0. Leiholdi, Rchb., 

 f., and to Oncidium sylvestre, Lindl., was sent to me from West 

 Palm Beach, Fla., where it was collected by Mr. Frank Idner. 

 It resembles a Bromeliaceous rather than an Orchidaceous plant, 

 and is peculiar not only because of the scabrate margins of the 

 leaves, but because of propagation by stolons. * Two specimens 

 were sent from Florida, one of which bloomed in late December, 



