ORCHIDACE^ 123 



Lindleyin his Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants. This is 

 absolutely wrong, and a most unfortunate disregard of literature 

 as well as of specimens, as a thoroughgoing study of all the cu- 

 cumstances will demonstrate. 



I have included Sjnranthes simplex, Gray, under S. Bechii, 

 Lmdl., as I can detect no constant difference between Drummond's 

 plants, numbered 332, collected in New Orleans, on which Dr. 

 Lindley based his description of S. Beckii, and the type speci- 

 mens from Nantucket and New Jersey, on which Dr. Gray based 

 S. simplex. The southern plants are usually taller than the north- 

 ern ones, though there is no constant difference that can be based 

 on this character. In my judgment the floral structure of plants 

 from the entire range shows no specific nor even varietal charac- 

 ters which will sustain S. simplex, Gray. 



S. brevilabris, Lindl., seems to be a pubescent form of S. gra- 

 cilis. Beck. In the Gray Herbarium there are three specimens 

 of what I take to be 8. brevilabris, two of which are so marked 

 in Dr. Gray's handwriting. Aside from the pubescence, which is a 

 variable character, the persistent leaves seem to be the only point 

 of distinction. I have studied many specimens from the South- 

 ern and Middle States, and find much variation. 



In referring S. brevifolia, Chapm., to S. longilabris, Lindl., 

 I have based my understanding of the latter species on four 

 plants preserved in the Gray Herbarium, which were collected 

 by T. Drummond at New Orleans in 1833. The specimens have 

 secund racemes, smooth bracts, and long lips, and agree well with 

 Lindley's description. These specimens were previously deter- 

 mined as 8. longilabris by Gray, and agree with the type speci- 

 mens of 8. brevifolia, Chapm. 



Gyrostachys constricta and G. triloba, which Dr. Small de- 

 scribed in the Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club as new species 

 from the South, appear to be identical with 8piranthes odorata, 

 Lindl. Flowers taken from two specimens on the type sheet of 

 G. triloba agreed with authentic material of Spiranthes odorata, 

 and did not show the trilobed character to which the specific 

 name of the plant refers. G. constricta, which Dr. Small consid- 



