328 ORCHIDACEAE 



scales : bracts 5-10 mm. long, lanceolate or ovate : sepals greenish, linear, 2-5 cm. long, 

 attenuate : lateral petals similar to the sepals : lip shorter than the petals, purple, entire ; 

 blade orbicular-reniform, 2-2.5 cm. broad : capsules oblong, 3-3.5 cm. long. 

 In forests, peninsular Florida. Also in tropical America. 



4. Epidendrum erythronioides Small. Plants tufted, 1-2 dm. tall. Leaves 3 at 

 the base of the flowering stem, two of them with narrowly spatulate blades 6-12 cm. long 

 and scarcely sheathing, and one much smaller and sheathing the lower part of the flower- 

 ing stem : bracts deciduous : perianth persistent : sepals broadly linear, or the lateralones 

 linear-elliptic, 10-11 mm. long, acuminate : lateral petals similar to the lateral sepals : lip 

 rhombic-obovate, slightly shorter than the lateral petals, 4-5 mm. wide, entire : capsules 

 elliptic or oval-elliptic, about 3 cm. long, lustrous. 



On trees, Key Largo, Florida. Summer and fall. 



5. Epidendrum rigidum Jacq. Plants tufted, 1-4 dm. tall. Flowering stems com- 

 pletely sheathed by the leaf -bases : leaf-blades oblong, 4-8 cm. long, obtuse, leathery, ap- 

 proximate : bracts ovate, 1-1.5 cm. long : perianth greenish : sepals oblong or ovate-ob- 

 long, 5-7 mm. long, acutish : lateral petals linear, about as long as the sepals : lip small ; 

 blade deltoid-reniform, 2-2.5 mm. long, with 2 callosities near the base: column dentic- 

 ulate, adnate to the claw of the lip : capsules oblong or ovoid, 15-18 mm. long, beaked. 



On trees, southern peninsular Florida. Also in tropical America. 



6. Epidendrum iiocturnum L. Plants 3-7 dm. high. Stems sheathed by the leaf- 

 bases : leaf-blades oblong to linear, 8-15 cm. long, obtuse, spreading or ascending : perianth 

 white or yellowish : sepals and lateral petals linear, attenuate, 4-6 cm. long : lip 3-cleft, 

 the lateral segments ovate-oblong, the terminal segment linear-setaceous, surpassing the lat- 

 eral : capsules 3-4 cm. long, each narrowed into a beak at the apex and a stipe at the base. 



On trees, peninsular Florida. Also in tropical America. 



7. Epidendrum umbellatum Sw. Plants 1-3 dm. tall. Stems rather stout, sheathed 

 by the leaf-blades, simple : leaves several ; blades leathery, oblong, 4-8 cm. long, obtuse, 

 spreading : flowers in nearly sessile umbel-like clusters : bracts ovate or oblong-ovate, rather 

 thin : perianth green : sepals oblong or a little broadened upward, about 1 cm. long : 

 lateral petals almost similar to the sepals but narrower or sometimes linear : lip orbicu- 

 lar-reniform, notched, obscurely 3-lobed : column straight : capsules about 1.5 cm. long, 

 .constricted at the apex, each narrowed into a slender angled pedicel-like base. 



In the everglades, peninsular Florida. Also in tropical America. 



32. POLYSTACHYA Hook. 



Caulescent herbs inhabiting trees. Stems scape-like above. Leaves few, 2-ranked, 

 blades not plaited, sheathing at the base, reduced to sheathing scales above. Flowers in a 

 terminal panicle. Perianth not showy. Sepals various, one narrow, two broader, gibbous, 

 converging. Lateral petals rather similar to the narrow sepal, but smaller, often much nar- 

 rower. Lip sessile, jointed, abruptly bent at the base, 3-lobed. Anther free, lid-like. 

 Pollen-masses 4, waxy, hemispheric, unappendaged. Capsules more or less elongated. 



1. Polystachya minuta (Aubl.) Britton. Leaves sheathing the lower part of the 

 stem ; blades leathery, oblong or broadly linear, 1-3 dm. long, the sheathing bases per- 

 sistent. Flowering stems scape-like, 3-6 dm. long^ paniculate above, with sheathing scales : 

 perianth greenish yellow : sepals various, the middle one oblong or ovate-oblong, 4 mm. 

 long, obtuse, the 2 lateral obliquely ovate, acute, longer : lateral petals linear or slightly 

 broadened upward, acute, much shorter than the sepals : lip obovate or cuneate, folded 

 up against the lateral sepals, 4 mm. long, hairy within, with 2 small incurved lateral lobes 

 and a broad notched middle lobe : .capsules usually 1 cm. long. [P. luteola Hook. ] 



On trees, peninsular Florida. Also in tropical America. 



33. HEXALECTRIS Raf. 



Succulent herbs, with scaly coral-like rootstocks. Stems scape-like. Leaves reduced 

 to sessile scales. Flowers few, in a loose terminal raceme. Sepals and lateral petals rather 

 similar. Lip broadened upward, 3-lobed with several crested ridges, neither spurred nor 

 gibbous. Column short, free, slightly incurved. Anther lid-like, at the apex of the 

 column. Pollen-masses 8, aggregated in a cluster. Capsules drooping, on short pedicels. 



1. Hexalectris aphyllus (Nutt.) Raf. Foliage glabrous. Stems 1-5 dm. tall, stout, 

 scape-like : leaves (scales) sheathing or sessile : raceme 5-30 cm. long, interrupted : perianth 

 brownish purple, striped with lighter purple : sepals linear-oblong or elliptic, more or less 

 curved, 1.5-2 cm. long, acutish : lateral petals similar to the sepals but slightly shorter : 



