50 ORCHIDS OF JAMAICA 



(1842). Masdevallia fenestrata Lindl. ex Hook, in Bot. Mag. t. 

 4164 (1845). (PJ. 7, f. 8-10.) 



On trees, banks and decaying logs; in fl. Aug.-Dec, in fr. Apr., Aug.; 

 Purdie I J. P. 484, Morris 1 Mansfield, near Bath ; Mabess River, 3000- 

 4000 ft. ; Holly Mount, Mt. Diabolo, 2G0O-3OOO ft. ; Harris ! Fl. Jam. 

 7680, 7626, 7817, 8911, 9014, 9891, 10,466.— Cuba. 



Plant 3-6 in. high. Stem 3-5 cm. 1., 5-7-jointed, covered with 

 sheaths; sheaths increasing in size from below upwards, -5-3 cm. 1., 

 dilated at mouth, glabrous. Leaf obovate-elliptical, tapering into a short 

 stalk (l cm. 1.) which is enclosed in the top sheath, 3-9 cm, 1., 1*5-3 cm. 

 br. Pedicel 2-jointed, 13 mm. 1. Ovary 7-8 mm. 1., 12-winged. Bracts 

 at each joint of pedicel, sheathing, one at upper joint 6-7 mm. 1., with 

 3 or 4 smaller at base. Flowers about ^ in. 1., deep crimson. Sepals 

 14-15 mm. 1., 5' mm. br., conduplicate ; chink 5 mm. from apex, 2 mm. 1., 

 •6--7 mm. br. Petals nearly 4 mm. 1., 2 mm. br., oblong, truncate, 

 3-toothed at apex. Lip 4*5 mm. 1., -75 mm. br. at base, hastate, lateral 

 lobes folded in front, a minute auricle at each side at the base. Column 

 2-2*5 mm. 1. ; clinandrium 2-toothed in front and 1-toothed behind. 



21. STELIS Sw. 



Stems erect, clustered, simple, with one leaf at the apex, 

 2-joiiited, with a sheath to each joint and small basal sheaths. 

 Leaf leathery, contracted at the base into a short stalk, jointed 

 near the base. Flowers very small, numerous on a long raceme 

 springing from the base of the leaf, enclosed by a spathaceous 

 bract and smaller inner bracts. Floral bracts small, sheathing 

 below, about equalling the pedicel. Sepals generally subequal, 

 lateral slightly oblique, spreading, shortly or deeply connate. 

 Petals much shorter, broad, with thickened margins. Lip sessile 

 at the base of the column, equal and somewhat similar to the 

 petals. Column short, broad, generally thicker above ; clinan- 

 drium with a lobe at each side, and a posterior lobe which is 

 3-lobulate ; rostellum tongue-like. Anther terminal, opercular, 

 incumbent, semiglobose, incompletely 2-celled ; pollinia 2, waxy, 

 pyriform, generally connected at the apex by slight viscum. 

 Capsule small, ovoid or oblong, 3-cornered. 



Species about 210, natives of tropical America, from the 

 West Indies and Mexico to Brazil and Peru. 



Closed flowers rounded ; sepals elliptical .. . 1. S. micrantha. 

 Closed flowers 3-cornered ; sepals deltoid ... 2. S. ophioglossoides. 



1. S. micrantha Sw. in Schrad. Journ. Bot. ii. 240(1799); 

 racemes somewhat longer than leaf ; closed flowers rounded ; 

 sepals elliptical-ovate, longer than broad, shortly connate at 

 base, nerves slightly prominent below, the central nerve 

 generally forming a keel in the lateral sepals. — Sw. Fl. Ind. Occ. 

 1553 ; Smith Exot. Bot. t. 75; Hooh. Exot. Fl. t.l58; Griseh. Fl. Br. 

 W. Ind. 611 ; Oogn. in Symh. Ant. vi. 386. Epidendrum micran- 

 thum Sw. Prodr. 125 (1788) & Icon. ined. t. 50. Bendrobium 



