39 



PLEUROTHALLIS CILIATA. 



(Ciliated PUwrotliallis.) 

 LINNEAN SYSTEM. NATURAL ORDER. 



GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA. ORCH I D ACEjE. TRIBE. — MALAXIDEJ3, § PIEUROTHALLE^E. 



(Lindl. Gen. et Sp.) 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Pleurothallis (R. Brown. Hort. Kew. 5. 211). Sepala conniventia subaaqualia : lateralibus 

 vel omnibus connatis. Petala minora. Labettum liberum, cum columna sub-parallelum, 

 integerrimum, petalis difforme. Columna elongata, aptera, libera, cum ovario continua. 

 Anthera apice membranacea. Pollinia 2, nunc materie pulverea ad apicem cohaerentia. Herbae 

 epiphytce, rhizomate repente filiformi. Caules filiformes, monophylli, saepius vaginati. Flores 

 axillares, solitarii, vel fasciculati, vel racemosi. 



Sepals converging, somewhat equal : the lateral ones, or all of them connate. Petals smaller. 

 Lip free, somewhat parallel with the column, very entire, differing from the petals in form. 

 Column elongated, wingless, free, continuous with the ovarium, Anther membranaceous at the 

 apex. Pollen-masses 2, occasionally cohering at the apex by a powdery substance. Epiphytic 

 plants, with a creeping, thread-shaped root-stock. Stems thread-shaped, 1-leaved, most fre- 

 quently clothed with sheaths. Flowers axillary, solitary, fascicled, or racemose. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



P. ciliata ; caule ascendente subtereti sulcato ; folio coriaceo elliptico-lanceolato emarginato ; 

 racemo recurvo folio breviore ; floribus alternis secundis ; sepalis minutissime ciliatis, lateralibus 

 nisi apice connatis, superiore erecto ; petalis lineari-lanceolatis ciliatis columna paulb longioribus ; 

 labello sub-ciliato linguse-formi obtuso concavo ; clinandrio tridentato. 



Descr. — Stem ascending, somewhat round, furrowed ; leaf leathery, elliptic-lanceolate 

 notched at the end ; raceme re-curved, shorter than the leaf ; flowers alternate, turned in one 

 direction ; sepals very minutely ciliated, the lateral ones connate, except at the apex, the upper 

 one erect ; petals linear-lanceolate, ciliated, a little longer than the column; lip somewhat ciliated, 

 tongue-shaped, obtuse, concave ; clinandrium 3-toothed. 



This species of Pleurothallis is perfectly new to this country. Our drawing 

 was made from a specimen in the collection of John Wilmore, Esq., of Oldford, 

 by whom it was received in 1884 from Mr. John Henchman, who collected it 

 near the Falls of Ouripano, on the Masseroni River, Demerara. It was found 

 attached by its long fibrous roots to the main stems of large trees, in company 



