Plate 2461. 



HOMALOPETALUM JAMAIGENSE, RoJ/e. 



Okchide.e. Tribe EpiDE.\nRE.E. 



Homalopstalum, Rolfo {gen. nov.). Sepala jequalia, libera, conni- 

 ventia. Petala sepalis conformia, requalia, Laldlum petalis subcon- 

 forme, liberum, indivisum. Columna clavata, scniiteres, incurva, 

 basi utrinque in auriculas falcato-oblongas producta, apoda, cli- 

 nandno marginato, rostello ovato-ohIon"o desceiidente. Anthera 



termmalis, opercularis, convexa, loculis 2 distinctis, septo longitudi- 



rah imperfecte 2-locellatis ; polliiiia perfecta 4, cerea, per paria in 



loculis segregata, parallels compressa, appendiculis lineari granuloso- 



viscosis a basi marginibus applieita connexa, additis in quocjue loculo 



polhmis 2 parvis v. imperfeetis, ab apice appendicularum descenden- 

 tibus. 



H. jamaicense, Rolfe (sp. unka) ; rliizomate repente, pseudobulbis 

 oblongis V. obovato oblongis truncatis monopliyllis, foliis sessilibus 

 oblongis V, ovato-oblongis subobtusis carnosis, pedunculis tenninalibus 

 gracilibus, bracteis tubuloso-spathaceis subacutis cariuatis, sepalis petal- 

 isque lineari-lanceolatis acuminatis concavis, labello subconformi mar- 

 ginibus involutis, disco laevi. 



Hab. Jamaica : Blue Mountains, in woodland, above Abbey Green 

 coffee plantation, at 4000-5000 ft., growing spaxingly on trunks of 

 trees, W. Harris. 



PseudobuJbi 2-3 lin. longi. Folia 4-6 lin. longa, 2-2| lin. lata. 

 redunculi 1 poll, longi. Bractece 1 lin. longse. Sepala, petala et 

 labeUum 6-7 lin. longa. Columna 2 lin. longa. 



A remarkable little plant with creeping rhizomes, but in other 

 respects closely resembling the Brazilian Finelia hypolepta, Lindl., in 

 habit. The structure of the flower, however, is quite different, the six 

 perianth segments being nearly alike in shape, and the anther and 

 pollinia almost as in Telramicra. The staminodes, instead of being 

 united with the median petal and forming the side lobes of the lip, are 

 partially united to the base of the column, where they form a pair of 

 falcate-oblong, erect auricles or teeth. The genus may be placed next 

 to Tetraniicra. The name refers to the similar perianth segments. 



Fig. I. Sepal. 2. Petal. 3. Lip and column. 4, Lip flattened out. 5. Column 

 fctill more enlarged. 6. Anther-cap. 7. Group of pollinia. 8. One pair of pollinia. 

 All enlnrged. 



