ORCHIDACE^ 



Rolfe referred the species to Aganisia and made the combination 

 Aganisia brachystalix. At this point in the history of the species 

 Rudolf Schlechter of BerUn studied it and concluded that it 

 belonged to Koellensteinia. He made the new combination K. 

 brachystalix. This was in 1915. In 1918 Schlechter's treatment 

 of Aganisia and allied genera appeared and Koellensteinia bra- 

 chystalix was therein referred to a new genus under the name 

 Otostylis brachystalix. 



This, briefly, is the history of the Trinidad plant that has 

 passed as a white flowered form of Cyrtopodium cristatum Lindl. 



Stems very short, about 2 cm. long, somewhat obpyriform, con- 

 cealed by long bracts and by the sheathing bases of the equitant 

 rather stiff" and leathery leaves. Leaves four or more, up to 7 dm. 

 long, 1-4 cm. wide, ligulate-lanceolate, acuminate, acute, taper- 

 ing gradually toward the base and passing by imperceptible gra- 

 dation into elongated, winged petioles that sheath the short stems, 

 prominently three-nerved beneath, many nerved, obliquely as- 

 cending, erect in the new growths. Scape wand-like, from the 

 base of a new growth of closely equitant leaves and flowering be- 

 fore the growth is completed, provided below the raceme with 

 several tubular bracts that are about 1 cm. long and at intervals 

 of 1 dm. more or less. Raceme simple, strict, up to 2 dm. long, 

 bearing fifteen or more showy white flowers. Bracts of the in- 

 florescence shorter than the pedicels, 5 mm. long, strongly con- 

 cave, lanceolate, acute. Pedicel with the ovary about 16 mm. long, 

 ascending obliquely. Flowers about 2.5 cm. across when spread 

 out. Lateral sepals elliptical, 1.3 cm. long, 8 mm. wide, rather 

 fleshy, main nerves seven in number. Upper sepal similar. Petals 

 1.2 cm. long, 6 mm. wide near the middle, spathulate, obtuse, 

 main nerves five. Labellum 9 mm. long, inserted under the tip 



of the foot of the column, strongly concave at the base, three- 



[50] 



