232 Plants Collected in Paraguay. 



ORCHIDEJ^. 

 Named by R. A. Rolfe. 

 Pleiirothallis^ Sp. 



Caballero (394). January. 



An epiphyte clinging to the bark of trees. Leaves very thick, 

 6-8 cm. long and l-lj cm. broad, somewhat keeled, many-nerved, 

 black spotted on the upper surface, on jointed petioles rising from 

 the rootstock, and 10-12 cm. long. 



Suloptiia maculata, Reichb. f. 



Pilcomayo River (968). March. 



Scapes stiff, erect, sparsely bracted, 4-5 dm. high, from thick, 

 white, cottony, granulated roots. Leaves radical, elliptical, very 

 thick, light green, blotched with deeper green, somewhat channelled 

 in the centre, spiny pointed, sheathed at the base by several bracts, 

 the largest over 3 dm. long and about 5 cm. wide. Flowers 2 cm. 

 high, 5-15 in the spike, 1 or 2 spikes springing from the same bract, 

 1 longer than the other ; lip larger than the other segments of the 

 corolla, with 2 small rounded lobes at its base, the lobes purple- 

 striped inside and whitish outside, the upper portion curved down- 

 wards, with 2 spots of reddish-purple inside, whitish outside ; spur 

 curved, clavate. Ovary enlarging to 3 cm. in fruit. In deep, damp 

 woods. 



Catasetum fimliriatiiiii, Lindl. 



Pilcomayo River (8t5). January. 



Scapes slender, bracted, 4-5 dm. high. Flowers purple, in a 

 terminal raceme, each on a bracted pedicel 3 or 4 cm. long, the 

 perianth 5 or 6 cm. long and 4 or 5 cm, broad; petals and sepals 

 narrow, oblong, acute, greenish and covered with minute purple 

 dots, the lateral sepals reflexed; lip large, inflated, expanding into a 

 broad and fringed apex, which curves over itself; spur large, blunt. 

 The flow^er of this orchid is exceedingly interesting in its contri- 

 vances for securing insectivorous agency in its fertilization. They 

 are similar to those of a related species described by Darwin in his 

 Fertilization of Orchids, p. 322. Wet grounds. 



Oncidium? 



Caballero (397). In fruit January. 



