197 
PLEUROTHALLIS ruscifolia. 
RuscuS'like Pleurothallis. 
GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA._Nat. Ord. ORCHIDEJE. 
Gen. Char. — Lahellum articulatim connexum cum basi simplici vel brevis- 
sime producta columnae. Petala 2, antica exteriorum inferne connata. 
Massce pollinis 2, exsulcae. — Br. 
Pleurothallis ruscifolia ; caule elongato unifolio, folio ovato-lanceolato, 
floribus in sinu folii aggregatis. — Br. 
Pleurothallis ruscifolia, Br. in Hort. Kew. v. 5. p. 211. 
Dendrobium ruscifolium, Willd. Sp. PI. v, iv. p. 135. 
Epidendrum ruscifoHura, Jacq. Amer. p. 226. t. 133. f. 3. — Linn. Sp. PI. 
p. 1353. 
Helleborine Rusci majoris folio. Plum. Sp. 1. 176. f. 2. 
Parasitic; throwing out from its base many simple, whitish, waved, fi- 
brous roots. Stem 7-8 inches high, slender, erect, filiform, having 3 or 
4 sheathing scales, jointed at the extremity, where it is terminated by 
an oblongo-lanceolate, somewhat recurved, subcoriaceous, nerveless, so- 
litary leaf: from the axil of this leaf is seen to arise 2 large ovato-cor- 
date, opposite bracteae, enclosing 3 or 4 simple or forked slender pe- 
duncles, scarcely an inch long, and each furnished with 2 or 3 small 
bracteae. 
Flower small, pale yellow-green, erect. Petals connivent ; the three outer 
ones linear-lanceolate : uppermost one 3-nerved ; two anterior ones 
united, so as to form a single 4-nerved petal : two lateral petals small, 
linear, single-nerved. Lip small, lanceolate-entiie, undulate. Column 
very small. Germen clavate. 
This was likewise gathered by Mr C. S. Parker in Trini- 
dad, and being preserved in spirits, I have been enabled to make 
the accompanying figure. 
We have living plants of it in our Garden, which were sent 
from the same island by the late Baron De Schack ; but they 
VOL. III. 
