106 ORCHIDS OF JAMAICA 



thick. Peduncle terminal, elongate, thin, rigid, with membranous 

 adpressed sheaths at intervals. Raceme simple, lax, with small 

 stalked flowers. Bracts minute. Sepals somewhat equal, free, 

 spreading. Petals similar to the sepals but narrower. Lip 

 attached at the base of the column, free, spreading from base ; 

 lateral lobes distinct on a short claw, ample, spreading ; median 

 broad, entire, contracted at the base. Column erect, broadly 

 2-winged above ; lateral lobes or teeth of the clinandrium 

 often membranous, median small. Anther terminal, opercular, 

 incumbent, convex, with two distinct cells, which are imperfectly- 

 divided into two smaller cells ; pollinia perfect, 4, waxy, segre- 

 gated in pairs in the cells, compressed in the same direction, 

 connected by appendages. Capsule oblong, not beaked. 



Species 7, natives of tropical America from the West Indies 

 to Brazil. 



T. parviflopa Lindl. ex Ueichh. f. in Walp. Ann. vi. 439 

 (1861); Griseh. Fl. Br. W. Ind. 622. Bletia parviflora Beichb.f. 

 loc. cit. (PI. 18, f. 7-10.) 



In dry rocky ground; in fl. Feb.-April; Stony Hill, 1000 ft., J.P. 2033, 

 Morris \ Syme\ near constant Spring, 600-1000 ft., Campbell I Le Rayt 

 Harris ! Fawcett ! Fl. Jam. 7655, 10,409.— Bahamas. 



Plant 7-15 in. high. Stem very short, 2-4 mm. 1., with two or 

 three small leaves and a long peduncle. Leaves 1-4 cm. 1., 3-6 mm. br. 

 Peduncle 18-38 cm. 1., very slender, with a lax raceme (4-10 cm, 1.) at 

 apex. Bracts, sterile sheathing, free part very short, acute, 3*5-5 mm. 1. ; 

 floral half-clasping, ovate, very acute, 2-2*5 mm. 1. Flowers small, 

 different shades of pink, sometimes white with a tinge of pink at the top 

 of the column, perianth less than ^ in. 1. Sepals green, sometimes striped 

 inside with fine lines of purplish-brown, 5-nerved, oblong, apex acute to 

 obtuse, 4*5-5 mm. 1., 1*6-2*1 mm. br. Petals 3-nerved, linear-lanceolate, 

 somewhat obtuse, 4-5 mm. 1., •75-"9 mm. br. Lip 5-6 mm. 1., 3-lobed, 

 lateral lobes broadly elliptical-ovate; median obovate, 5-nerved, 3*5 mm. br. 

 Column 2 • 5 mm. 1. 



X 37. HOMALOPETALUM Rolfe. 



Epiphytic herb, with a creeping rhizome, giving off 1 -leaved 

 pseudobulbs at intervals. Leaves sessile, fleshy. Peduncle 

 solitary from apex of pseudobulb, longer than leaf, with one 

 flower. Bracts few, small, distant. Sepals equal, free, connivent. 

 Petals similar to sepals. Lip nearly similar to petals, free, 

 undivided. Column thicker upwards, semiterete, incurved, with 

 a falcate-oblong auricle at each side of the base, without a foot ; 

 clinandrium margined ; rostellum ovate-oblong, descending. 

 Anther terminal, opercular, convex ; cells two, distinct, imper- 

 fectly divided by a longitudinal division; pollinia, perfect 4, 

 waxy, in pairs in the cells, with linear granular- viscous appen- 

 diculae, at the apex of which are small imperfect pollinia. 



Species 1, known only from Jamaica. 



