ORCHIDACEtE 



21 (1860); Wood, Class-book 685 (1861) ; Paine, PL Oneida Co. H.psycodes 

 84 (1865); Portl. Cat. 7 (1868); Tracy, Essex Fl. 81 (1892); Cor- 

 revon, Orch. Rust. 175 (1893) ; Krdnzl, Orch. Gen. et Sp. 1 : 607 

 (1899), 939 (1901), excl. syn. LindL, Ait., &c.— P. fimbriata /3 

 floribus minoribus Hook., Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 200 (1839). 



Blephariglottis psycodes Rydb., in Britton's Man. 296 

 (1901); Small, Fl. Se. U. S. 314 (1903), in Porter's Fl. Pa. 94 

 (1903); C. B. Robinson, in Bull. Pictou Acad. 1:35 (1907). 



It is a hopeless task to attempt to arrive at satisfactory con- 

 clusions regarding the correct synonymy oi Habenaria jpsycodes 

 and H. fimbriata. Early in the history of these closely aUied 

 species confusion was established, and although several authors 

 have endeavored to eliminate it there are obstacles which it is 

 probable will always exist. Botanists have reported their mate- 

 rial under one name or the other, and have, with few exceptions, 

 added confusion by unstudied references to literature. 



For example, Lindley described two varieties of H. psycodes 

 which are clearly referable to H. lacera, as an examination of his 

 specimens will prove. In his synonymy he refers directly to Orchis 

 psycodes L. His Platanthera crispa, on the other hand, which he 

 suggested was a natural hybrid, is equivalent to H. psycodes, 

 to which species his material identified as P. incisa should also 

 be referred. Lindley 's material oi P. fimbriata is conspecific with 

 H. psycodes, and his P. grandiftora is simply H. fimbriata. 



The difficulties are increased tenfold when it is realized that 

 H. psycodes and H. fimbriata are so similar that they are dis- 

 tinguishable only by arbitrary rules. In the preparation of the 

 Orchidaceje for Gray's New Manual a conscientious effort was 

 made to ascertain the distinctive characters of these two species. 

 Although every conspicuous character was carefully studied it 

 was found that the most reliable distinction was the depth of 



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