207 
EPIDENDRUM ellipticum. 
Elliptical-leaved JEpidendrum. 
GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA Nat. Ord. ORCHIDE^. 
Div. Anthera terminalis, moMlis, decidua. Massse poUinis demum cereacece. 
Gen. Char. — Colwmna cum ungue labelli longitudinaliter connata in tu- 
bum (quandoque decurrentem ovarivim). Massce pollinis 4, parallelae^ 
septis completis persistentibus distinctae, basi filo granulate elastico auc- 
tae.-— Br. 
"Epidendrum ellipticum ; foliis alternis subellipticis succulentis, pedun- 
culis terminalibus elongatis, labello perianthio sequali tripartite fim- 
briate, lobo intermedio minore lineari. — Graham, MSS. 
Epidendrum ellipticum^ Graham, MSS. 
" Roots long, round, fleshy, many pushed downwards from the origin of the 
branches. Stem jointed, branched; branches simple, round, slightly 
flexuose, green, spotted with dull brown. Leaves alternate, distichous, 
spreading, varying in different branches from ovato-elliptical and slight- 
ly concave above, to elliptico-Hnear, and nearly flat ; occasionally[slight- 
ly notched at the apex, fleshy, very obscurely marked with numerous 
minute parallel veins, green, sometimes faintly spotted like the stem, 
arising from the joints by very thin sheaths, which enclose the stem, 
and are in some branches as long as the joints, in others much shorter: 
— for about a foot at the upper part of the stem, and generally for a 
little way at the bottom, there are sheaths only, which are there point- 
ed, persisting, whitish, and withered, brown and striated in their upper 
part. 
" InjUyrescence a crowded, short, terminal spike ; rachis toothed. Flowers 
spreading, continuing many days expanded, each having a small, point- 
ed, marcescent braciea. Perianth rose-colour, obscurely veined, 3 outer 
segments rather the longest, obovato-lanceolate, entire, pointed ; 2 inner 
lanceolate> slightly serrated towards the apex. Labellum erect, 5-toothed 
in front (two teeth being in a line on each side, and one between the 
upper pair, which are the largest), 3-cleft, segments spreading, fim- 
briated, two lateral ones by much the largest, semicircular, the central 
segment linear, and nearly entire on its sides, all deep rose-colour when 
expanding, but afterwards, especially the lateral segments, which have 
a few small dots of a deep rose colour, becoming very pale. Anther-case 
VOL. III. 
