ORCHIDACE^ 



H.flexuosa Bot. Jahrb. 16: 124 (1893), Orch. Gen. et Sp. 1: 297 (1898). 

 Not H. lactiflora. Rich. & Gal. 



"23. Habenaria flexuosa. 



"H. foliis obiongo-lanceolatis acutis, floribus distantibus, 

 bracteis foliaceis acuminatis cucuUatis ovarii longitudine, petalis 

 bipartitis: laciniis anterioribus filiformibus rectis reflexis galea 

 brevioribus, labelli tripartiti laciniis filiformibus aequalibus, se- 

 palis lateralibus pendulis supremo sequalibus, calcare filiformi 

 compresso recto pendulo ovario duplo longiore. 



"Hab. in Mexico, ad S. Pedro, Oaxaca, de Karwinski {exam. s. 

 sp. in hb. Mart.) 



"Caulis subflexuosus, 9 poll, altus, foliis sensim in bracteis de- 

 crescentibus." Lindl. loc. cit. 



Lindley's herbarium contains a sketch of a plant and a flower, 

 labelled "Mexico," probably from the type, as he was in the 

 habit of sketching types that were loaned him, especially Kar- 

 winski's. On the same sheet is a specimen from Orizaba by Bot- 

 teri, and under H. clypeata (so referred by KranzUn) a specimen 

 collected at "Angangueo, Hartweg." This is labelled "clypeata 

 var. ? " by Lindley, and is the H. clypeata var. in Bentham's 

 Plantce Hartwegiance 53 (Hartweg no. 399), as shown by speci- 

 mens in the British Museum. Although similar to H. clypeata 

 it may be known by its looser habit, green flowers, shorter spur, 

 narrower mid-lobe of the lip, which is shorter than the laterals 

 and basal. (A. A. E.) 



H. diffusa and H.flexuosa are closely related species which 

 are often extremely difficult to distinguish from one another. 

 The leaves of H. diffiisa are larger than those oi H.flexuosa and 

 the structure of the flowers offers slight differences, but these 

 characters may prove to be very variable and unreliable for spe 

 cific distinction. 



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