ORCHIDACE^ 



profound knowledge than we now possess of relationships in the 

 complex made up of Spiranthes, Cyclopogon and similar con- 

 cepts. The multiplication of genera attempted by Schlechter has 

 tended to conceal the larger affinity indicated by the more com- 

 prehensive genus, and the difficulties of identification have been 

 unduly intensified by reliance on characters which are hard to 

 define. As modified by Dr. Schlechter the Spiranthinae has lost 

 much even if it has gained a little. 



In a survey of Schlechter's proposals I find myself leaning 

 strongly toward the point of view expressed by Dr. B. L. Rob- 

 inson in his paper on "The Generic Concept in the Classifica- 

 tion of the Flowering Plants," a point of view clearly expressed 

 as follows : " Diffisrent minds may work in unlike manner when 

 confronted by the difficulties of identifying plants. Personally, 

 I should very much prefer to have the difficulty at one point 

 rather than at two ; that is to say, I should rather have generic 

 lines drawn so widely that genera would be pretty definite and 

 readily recognized, in the manner, let us say, of Cyperus, Astra- 

 galus, or Euphorbia in the broader and long traditional sense. 

 The recognition of such genera requires little or no mental ef- 

 fort on the part of a botanist of any training. The attention is left 

 free for the specific identification, and this may be undertaken 

 with a happy confidence that all the species likely to come into 

 question will be found in the same group and under the same 

 generic name. These species may be inconveniently numerous, 

 but at least one is not disturbed by any lurking doubt whether, 

 after all, he has got the right genus." (Proc. Am. Assoc. Adv. 

 Sci. 55 (1906) 424.) 



Trinidad, B. W. I., heights of Aripo, N. L. Britton ^ W. G. Free- 

 man 2327, March 16, 1921. Flowers white, minute. 



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