96 OECHIDACEAE. 



20. BLETIA E. & P. Syst. 229. 1798. 



Terrestrial orchids, with globose or ovoid corms, narrow, elongated linear 

 or lanceolate leaves, the slender sheathed scape arising from the side of the 

 corm, the large purple or pink flowers in simple or branched racemes. Sepals 

 nearly alike, ovate to oblong. Petals similar to the sepals. Lip broad, 5-7- 

 crested, 3-lobed. 'Column elongated. Anther 2-celled; pollinia obovate, waxy. 

 Capsules oblong, erect. [Commemorates L. Blet, a Spanish apothecary.] 

 About 45 species, mostly of tropical America. Type species: Bletia catenulata 

 E. & P. 



1. Bletia purpurea (Lam.) DC. Mem. Soc. Phys. Hist. Nat. Geneve 9: 100. 

 1841. 



Limodorum purpureum Lam. Encycl. 3: 515. 1789. 



Limodorum altum Jacq. Ic. Ear. 3: 17, pi. 602. 1786-93. Not. L. 1767. 



Bletia verecunda E. Br. in Ait. Hort. Kew ed. 2, 5: 206. 1813. 



Corm subglobose, 2-3 cm in diameter; scape slender, 3-11 dm. high. 

 Leaves 1.5-5 dm. long, 1-2 cm. wide at about the middle, tapering to both 

 ends, narrowed below into a sheath; sheaths of the scape 1-1.5 cm. long, ovate, 

 appressed; bracts ovate, 4-5 mm. long, acute or acuminate; sepals 11-18 mm. 

 long, acute, the median one ovate-lanceolate, the lateral ones ovate to oblong; 

 petals oval, a little shorter than the sepals; lip 7-crested, nearly as long as the 

 petals, its middle lobe notched, crenate crisped; capsule cylindric, 2.5-4 cm. 

 long. 



Pine-lands and scrub-lands, Abaco, Great Bahama, Andros. New Providence, 

 Eleuthera : Florida ; Cuba : Hispaniola ; Jamaica. Recorded by Hitchcock as Bletia 

 alta (L.) Hitchc. PURPLE BLETIA. 



21. GOVENIA Lindl. in Lodd. Bot. Cab. pi. 1709. 1831. 



Terrestrial orchids with rootstocks, the leaves few, plaited, the stem erect, 

 the rather small flowers in a simple, terminal, spike-like raceme. Sepals con- 

 nivent, nearly equal, the median one erect, incurved. Petals similar to the 

 sepals. Lip concave, simple. Column winged, incurved, its foot short. Anther 

 incumbent, convex, 1-celled; pollinia 4, waxy, not appendaged. Capsule oblong. 

 [Commemorates James Eobert Gowen, an English botanist, who died in 1862.] 

 About 17 species, natives of tropical America. Type species: Govenia superba 

 Lindl. 



1. Govenia utriculata (Sw.) Lindl. Bot. Eeg. 25: Misc. 47. 1839. 

 Cymbidium utriculatum Sw. Nov. Act. Ups. 6: 75. 1799. 



Plant 3-7 dm. high, the stem rather stout, bearing large basal inflated 

 bladeless sheaths and 1 or 2 broad leaves. Basal sheaths usually 2, mem- 

 branous, 4-20 cm. long; leaves usually 2, elliptic, 1-2.7 dm. long, 5-9 cm. wide, 

 acute or acuminate at the apex, narrowed at the base, finely many-nerved ; 

 cauline sheaths 1 or 2, obtuse, about 5 cm. lo'ng; raceme few-several-flowered, 

 1.5 dm. long or less; pedicels 3-5 mm. long; bracts narrowly lanceolate, 1-2 

 cm. long; flowers whitish; sepals about 1.5 cm. long, the lateral lanceolate, the 

 median oblong; petals about as long as the sepals; lip ovate, acute, about 

 9 mm. long; capsules deflexed, 2.5-3 cm. long. 



Coppices and pine-barrens, Abaco, Andros : Cuba ; Hispaniola ; Porto Rico ; 

 Jamaica ; Mexico to South America. SWOLLEN GOVENIA. 



