ORCHIDACE.E 

 MALAXIS Soland. ex Sw. 



Malaxis cuneipetala Ames sp. nov. Radices fibratae. Caules 

 abbreviati, ±3 cm. alti, vaginis foliorum obtecti. Folia conferta, 

 petiolata; lamina ±1 dm. longa, usque ad 4.5 cm. lata, lanceolata 

 vel ovato-lanceolata, acuminata, acuta, chartacea, prominenter 

 septemnervia. Petiolus late sulcatus, ±6 cm. longus, circa 6 mm. 

 latus, ad basim imbricatus. Pedunculus gracilis, elongatus, cum 

 racemo usque ad 2 dm. longus, multiflorus. Flores aurantiaci, 

 succedanei,in racemo subdenso dispositi. Bracteae inflorescentiae 

 demum dependentes, 3-10 mm. longae, in sicco chartaceae, line- 

 ari-lanceolatae, valde acutae. Pedicellus cum ovario circa 5 mm. 

 longus. Sepala lateralia 4 mm. longa, 3 mm. lata, orbicularia, 

 valde obtusa. Sepalum dorsale 5 mm. longum, 2.5 mm. latum, 

 oblongum, obtusum, trinervium, prope basim sensim attenua- 

 tum. Petala cuneiformia, usque ad 4.5 mm. longa, 3.5-4 mm. 

 lata, ad basim valde attenuata, unguiculata. Labellum cum au- 

 riculis circa 4.5 mm. longum, 2.5 mm. latum, ambitu ellipticum, 

 antice utrinque unilobulatum, lobo intermedio semirotundato, 

 bifido, .75 mm. longo, 1 mm. lato, auriculis 1.75 mm. longis, 

 circa 1 mm. latis, falcatis, obtusis, convergentibus. Gynostemium 

 breve. 



Malaxis cuneipetala is remarkable because of its extraordina- 

 rily wide cuneiform or cuneate-rhombic petals which are wider 

 than the sepals. The front part of the labellum is trilobed at the 

 tip, the lateral lobes or rather lobules being much shorter and 

 narrower than the bifid middle lobe. 



Le^te, C. a. Wenzel 07 2 j^^ November 24, 1914. Terrestrial in forest. 

 800 meters altitude. Flowers orange. 



Malaxis negrosiana^w^^in Elmer Leaf. Phil. Bot.5 (1912) 

 1561. 



Several specimens from Leyte referable to this species exhibit 



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