PLEUROTHALLIS 57 



obtuse, sessile, at the base subacuminate. Racemes 3' 5-5* 5 cm. 1,, filiform. 

 Floivers i in. 1., yellowish-green, lax. Pedicels scarcely longer than the 

 bracts. Bracts 2 mm. 1., small, acute, sheathing. Sepals 8 mm. 1., 

 median 1-75 to 2*5 mm. br,, the united lateral 3 to 4 mm. br., erect, 

 keeled, lanceolate. Petals yellowish-green tinged with purple at the base, 

 2 '5-2 '75 mm. 1., '75 to 1 mm. br., subovate, acute, one-third as long as the 

 sepals. Lip deep purple, very small, 2*5 mm, 1., shortly clawed, 2-keeled 

 on the disk, keels running up near the apex, sub-panduriform with a blunt 

 tooth on each side below middle, then constricted, and 2-auricled above 

 the narrow claw. Column shorter than the petals, clinandrium crenulate, 

 2-denticulate, tinged with purple at the base. Capsule 8 mm. 1., 2*5 mm. 

 br., oblong, gibbous, with 6 muricate keels. 



6. P. multipostris Bekhh. f. in Linnsea xli. 49 (1877) ; 

 raceme 1, with several flowers ; sepals brownish-purple, curved, 

 beak-like, the lateral connate nearly to apex, apex obtuse. — 

 Cogn. in Symh. Ant. vi. 401. 



In fl. Sept. 



Stems clustered, about as long as the leaf, amply sheathed. Leaves 

 oblong, acute, stalked. Raceme defiexed, with several flowers. Bracts 

 minute, triangular. Pedicels about equalling the ovary. Flowers brownish- 

 purple, curved, beak-like. Sepals linear-ligulate, lateral sepals connate 

 nearly to apex, apex obtuse. Petals half as long as sepals, oblong, obtuse, 

 minutely denticulate at apex, 3-nerved. Lip oblong, obtusely acute, 

 obscurely 3-lobed at the middle, lateral lobes low, obtuse-angled and 

 3-nerved. Column thick, at apex membranous, denticulate. 



We have not seem any specimen of this species, and it is solely on the 

 authority of Keichenbach that it is included among the orchids of Jamaica. 



7. P. laxa Lindl Gen. & Sp. Orch. 7 (1830) ; racemes 1-3, 

 sometimes with as many as six flowers on each, longer than the 

 leaf ; sepals deep purple or greenish striped with purple, acumi- 

 nate, divaricate, lateral J-connate. — Lindl. Fol. Orch. Pleuroth. 35 ; 

 Griseh. op. cit. 607 ; Cogn. op. cit. 403. P. nigroannulata Cogn. in 

 Fedde Bepert. vi. 306 (1909) in part (Fl. Jam. 7536) k in Symh. 

 Ant. vi. 417. Epidendrum laxum Sic. Prodr. 125 (1788). Den- 

 drobium laxura Sw. in Nov. Act. TJpsal. vi. 84 (1799) & Fl. Ind. 

 Occ. 1547. Type in Herb. Mus. Brit. 



On trees ; in fl. Aug.-Nov. ; in fr. Dec. ; Swarf z ! Portland Gap, 5500 

 ft., J.P. 170; 2073 (in part) ; Morris I John Crow Peak, Fawcett 1 Pleasant 

 Hill, 4500 ft ; near Woodcutters' Gap, 4000 ft. ; Harris ! Fl. Jam. 7536. 



Plant 3 to 5 in. high. Stems clustered, 2-5 cm. 1,, barely reaching 



1 mm. in width, somewhat compressed and angular when dry, covered 

 within 1 cm. or less of the leaf by three loose membranous keeled sheaths. 

 Leaf 3-4 cm. 1., 1-1*3 cm. br., oval-oblong. Racemes 5-7 cm. 1. Bracts: 



2 mm. 1., clasping, acute. Floivers deep purple, J in. 1. Sepals 8 mm. 1., 

 lateral narrowly lanceolate, median linear-lanceolate. Petals 4 mm. 1., 

 purple or purple-streaked, narrowly lanceolate, half the length of tho 

 sepals. Lip slightly shorter than the petals, spotted with purple, shortly 

 clawed, the lower part concave, obtusely lobed, the upper part ovate, 

 recurved, with a pair of short, rounded erect lobes at base. 2-keeled on the 

 disk. Column a little shorter than the petals, spotted with purple ; 

 clinandrium denticulate, anther-case dark purple. 



