11 



hesitated to combat his opinion, althoujjh he presented no de 

 cisive evidence. As no more light has come to clear up the mat- 

 ter, and it still seems to me at least probable that the white form 

 should be separated, I offer a brief description from our material. 



^ Lycaste alba sp. nov. 



Scapes light green, 4.25 mm. thick; posterior bract sheathing, 

 the sides infolding, so that the long apical part is hollow, apex 

 tapering, sharply pointed, base 10.5 mm. wide, the back very 

 obtusely keeled, length of bract about 72 mm., light green; an- 

 terior bract represented by a small projection about 2 mm. long, 

 pointed with a membranous appendage; sepals pure white, upper 

 erect, about 75 mm. long and 36 broad, lanceolate ovate, obtusely 

 pointed, keeled beneath apically; lateral sepals similar, faintly 

 greenish apically beneath, about 77 mm. long and 38 broad, 

 meeting below and slightly overlapping to form a gibbous chin ; 

 the upper sepal goes 24 mm. beyond tip of bract; petals pure 

 white, the lower one (lip) suffused with orange at extreme base; 

 lateral petals about 50 mm. long and 30 broad, the broad apices 

 curled over baclavard; lip with a broad downwardly directed 

 median lobe, lateral lobes hardly developed, basal part bulbous; 

 column with anthers about 28 mm. long, very stout, the rounded 

 apex very faintly suffused with purplish; the four pollinia bright 

 orange, on a clear white stalk; callus of lip very thick, about 7.5 

 mm. broad, suboval, pale orange tinted. The flowers are not 

 sicky or aromatic. 



In addition to the above and the true L. Skinneri Lindley, we 

 have Lycaste cruenta Lindley, belonging certainly to a distinct 

 section of the genus. . The sepals are very sticky on the outer 

 side, and the flowers have a strong aromatic odor. It is also 

 peculiar in that one of each pair of pollinia is about a third 

 smaller than the other. The following description of the flower 



is from life: 



Lycaste cruexta Lindley 



Scapes about 14 cm. long; bracts 4-5, dark red brown, sheath- 

 ing, loose, pointed, uppermost about 22 mm. long; flowers erect, 

 about 40 mm. long, brilliant orange, with the broad sepals pale 

 yellow-green; sepals about 50 mm. long and 24 broad, oblong, 

 rather obtusely pointed, bearded at base within; petals shorter 

 than sepals, more ovate, with a larger apical angle, lightly speck- 

 led with crimson at base; lip abundantly spotted with crimson 



