Schlechter, Versuch einer aystemat. Neuordnung der Spiranthinae. 323 



than in Euspiranthes, the lateral sepals less obliquely attached 

 and nat decurrent. The species are few and all Tropical American, 

 including the genera Sauroglossum and Synassa of Lindly, also 

 the Spiranthes elata A. Rieh., which howover is speeifieally distinet 

 from Sauroglossum elatum Lindl. 3. Sarcoglottis, with the foliage 

 and inflorescence of Sauroglossum, büt the flowers usually larger, 

 the lateral sepals with the base of the column decurrent on the 

 ovary, but not forming a prominent mentum. The species are 

 few, all tropical American, including the genus Sarcoglottis Presl. 

 4. Stenorhynchus : tall plants, the radical leaves usually narrowed 

 at the base, the spikes dense with large flowers, the lateral sepals 

 with the base of the column decurrent far down the ovary, forming 

 a distinet, prominent mentum. The species are all American, 

 tropical or subtropical, and include, besides those usually referred 

 to the genus Stenorhynchus, L. C. Rieh., the Spiranthes hirta Ldl. 

 and S. bonariensis Ldl., and a few others. Ponthieva, R. Br., about 

 ten American species, requires no comment. Baskervillea, Ldl., 

 a single Peruvian species, has a very singular rostellum, and the 

 pollen masses appear solid, and are produced into long caudides; 

 yet the place of the genus seems- clearly to be among the Spiran- 

 theae; the analysis scetched in herb. Lindley has proved 

 not to be quite correct. Pelexia, Ldl., first published by him as 

 Collea, should be limited to the seven or eight species with a long, 

 spurshaped basal projeetion of the lateral sepals. The name 

 Pelexia was originally Poiteaus, mentioned by L. C. R i - 

 c h a r d as a genus, without giving any character, and it included 

 the Spiranthes adnata. Sprengel further extended it to the 

 very different Japanese spurred species of Cephalanthera," 



Später werde ich auf diese Äußerung G. Benthams, 

 die dann in den „Genera plantarum" sich mehr oder minder über- 

 setzt wiederfinden, ausführlich einzugehen haben. Jetzt will ich 

 zunächst vorausschicken, daß sowohl Ponthieva wie auch Basker- 

 villea nicht zum Verwandtschaftskreis von Spiranthes, sondern 

 ohne jeden Zweifel zu den Cranichidinae gehören. B e n t h a m 

 erkennt also nur die beiden Genera Spiranthes und Pelexia an, 

 das erstere mit sehr weiter, das letztere mit sehr enger Fassung. 



In seiner kurzen Übersicht über die Gattungen zu Anfang 

 der Familie gibt er 1 ) für Spiranthes und Pelexia die folgende 

 Charakteristik : 



Spiranthes. Sepalum posticum c. petalis galeatum, lateralia 

 ovario oblique affixa v. longe decurrentia. Columna basi in ovario 

 saequiis decurrens nee in pedem liberum producta. Caules foliati 

 v. florentes aphylli. Spica densa v. laxa, haud raro seeunda v. 

 spiralis. 



Pelexia. Sepala lateralia basi in appendicem calcariformem 

 longe linearem connata. Labellum lineare, basi in laminam line- 

 arem intra calcar sepalorum produetum. Rostellum longe sub- 

 ulato-acuminatum. Folia ad basin caulis conferta, subradicalia. 



J ) Genera plantarum III (1883), p. 481. 



21* 



