SEPTEMBER, 1922.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 275 
THE GENUS PLEUROTHALLIS. 
LTHOUGH several hundred species of Pleurothallis have been 
described, there are very few indeed that an amateur would consider 
worthy of cultivation, or worth the risk of importing. But, on the other 
hand, as the plants require very little space for their cultural needs, and as. 
many of them yield minute flowers of wonderful construction, the following 
account by Lindley in his Folia Orchidacea, a rare work published in 1859,. 
may prove of interest :— 
‘** My own collection is doubtless the largest in the world, by far, and I 
have dissected every species in it, at least once, often many times. Yet I. 
skrink from that creation of genera which some observers find so easy. All’ 
that a very long and careful study enables me to do is to cast the species in: 
a rather artificial mould, so grouping them that they can be easily studied 
and identified. Beyond that I dare not venture to proceed. Upon what. 
ground the sections stand will be seen from the following description :— 
I. There is a group of species with great coriaceous leaves, long: 
herbaceous spathes, and numerous racemes of fleshy flowers, rising above 
the leaves. These are the aristocracy of the genus, although some approach: 
very nearly the mean genus Stelis; they form my Spathacee. 
2. Many others there are, conspicuous for their large leathery leaves,. 
usually heart-shaped, pouring forth great membranous flowers in racemes, 
or usually smaller ones in clusters, all without conspicuous spathes; suck 
form the Macrophylla racemose, and Macrophyllz fasciculate. 
3. Then come large leaved plants with winged stalks, sometimes re- 
sembling a thin stiletto, and fasciculate small flowers ; these are Sicariz. 
4. Immediately follows a crowd, many of which resemble Octomerias,. 
all with fasciculate flowers and leaves tapering to the base; to these is 
applied the name of Aggregate. 
5. Much like the last is a little group with the points of the petals- 
distended into a gland, offering a passage to the genus Restrepia, of which 
they are kinsmen ; whence they are called Restrepioidez. 
6. Close to Aggregate, but with the inflorescence developed into a 
raceme, stands a herd, none of which are able to extend it beyond the 
summit of the leaves ; hence the name of Brachystachye. 
7. Then the development of the floral axis is manifested by long 
racemes of flowers rising high above the leaves, as in Elongate. 
8. And parallel with these are other species in which the lengthened 
axis is accompanied by a well. marked attenuation of the sepals; the 
Acuminate. ue oe 
9. Having considerable relation to the last division, but with little or 
no development of the stem, appear the Apodze, or species In which the 
