88 ORCHIDACEAE. 



bases much dilated, sheathing the stem, the upper sheaths bladeless; spike 

 2-7 em. long; bracts lanceolate, or ovate-lanceolate, acute, a little shorter 

 than the ovary; sepals about 4 mm. long, linear or linear-lanceolate; lip with 

 a dilated claw and a nearly orbicular blade terminated by a drooping or 

 recurved triangular tip, the pouch-like spur shorter than the ovary. 



Under bushes in pine-lands and in savannas. Great Bahama and Andros : — 

 Florida to Louisiana; Cubaj Guadeloupe. Low Physurds. 



9. MALAXIS Sw. Prodr. 119. 1788. 



Low orchids with a solid bulb, 1-leaved or 2-leaved. Flowers small, white 

 or green, in a terminal raceme. Sepals spreading, separate, the lateral ones 

 equal at the base. Petals filiform or linear, spreading. Lip cordate or eared 

 at the base, embracing the column. Anther erect between the auricles, 2-celled; 

 pollinia 4, smooth and waxy, 2 in each sac, the pairs cohering at the summit, 

 without caudicles or glands. Capsule oval, sometimes nearly globose, beakless. 

 [Greek, in allusion to the soft tissues.] About 140 species, widely distributed, 

 the following typical. 



1. Malaxis spicata Sw. Prodr. 119. 1788. 



Microstylis spicata Lindl. Gen. & Sp. Orch. 19. 1830. 



Glabrous, 1-3 dm. high, 2-leaved near the base, and with 1 or 2 sheaths 

 below the leaves. Leaves ovate or elliptic-ovate, 5-10 cm. long, acute, the 

 lower one the larger, the sheathing petioles 1-5 cm. long; raceme narrow, 8 cm. 

 long or less, many-flowered ; bracts ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acute, 2-4 mm. 

 long; pedicels 5-9 mm. long; middle sepal about 3 mm. long, ovate-lanceolate, 

 acute or bluntish, the lateral ones about as long, obtuse; petals linear, 2 mm. 

 long; lip about 4 mm. long, its terminal lobe linear-oblong; capsule about 8 

 mm. long. 



Coppice, Crooked Island : — ^Florida ; Cuba to Porto Rico and Martinique : 

 Jamaica. We are indebted to Mr. Oakes Ames for the determination of the Crooked 

 Island specimen. Slender Malaxis. 



10. POLYSTACHYA Hook. Exot. El. pi 103. 1825. 



Epiphytic, leafy-stemmed orchids, the stems usually clustered, sheathed 

 at the base, the roots thick-fibrous, the many-nerved leaves conduplicate in the 

 bud, the upper reduced to long, narrow scales, the small flowers in terminal, 

 panicles or spike-like racemes. Median sepal narrower than the lateral ones. 

 Petals narrower than the lateral sepals. Lip jointed with the base of the 

 column, spurless, sessile, bent below, 3-lobed, the lateral lobes small. Column 

 short, with a distinct foot. Anther terminal, lid-like, convex, usually 1-celled; 

 pollinia 4, waxy, broadly ovate or nearly hemispheric, not appendaged. 

 [Greek, many spikes.] About 170 species, mostly of tropical regions. Type 

 species: Cranichis luteola Sw. 



Leaves several, oblong-ligulate ; racemes numerous. 1. P. minuta. 



Leaves 2, linear or linear-lanceolate ; racemes few. 2. P. foliosa. 



