355 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Hass. 
January 6 , 1 524. 
My dear Laiikester: 
A letter from me might he more welcome if it 
contained a goodly number of determinations based on your Christ¬ 
mas package, but as it will take some days to finish the Job in 
hand, I am writing to inform you that the twenty specimens are 
in hand and are already mounted. 551 , for which you proposed a 
name (Epidendrua graoilirae) is E. eentradenia Reichb. f. I am 
always delighted to receive material of this species, because it 
is one of the chaps that varies mightily, I think it is Schlecht- 
er f s E. ttmuiflo_rrma f and is the possessor of a rich synonymy. 
540 is a new Scelochilus. I may call it j£, Lankeatari if it 
proves distinct from £. aureus Schltr. from Eablazo. #541 , cor¬ 
rectly determined by you as Ili amtojatnlijc oontarA crisis Rolfe, 
is a deli^itfuL addition to the herbarium. It is safe to say that 
this material represents the finest herbarium record of the spec¬ 
ies that has been made. The Hew type is simply a raceme. Schlechtsr 
seems to have had this species but - once as he only cites a Werckle 
number from an unrecorded locality. My only material is from Pow¬ 
ell, Schleehter is of the opinion that 3. costaricensis is the 
same as J3. .guatemalensis .If he is not mistaken, then the species 
ranges from Guatemala to Panama. Your 554 is Sllfianjihtta j&VBi&ajaKa 
Eeichb. f, .. 555* which you suggest is Hexisea, proves to be a 
Scaphyglottis and may be undescribed. 
Pray save some flowers of llasdevallla costar¬ 
icensis for me. 1'his is a most rare species in herbaria. Until I 
receive additional flowers I will refrain from boiling up the 
single flower submitted. 
Why did you send to me such a scappy specimen 
of #540? It will be difficult to prepare a satisfactory descript¬ 
ion in the absence of complete pseudobulbs and roots. 
EOTMEG IS 200 C0MM0IT FOR MY EES. Do you realise 
that many of the common species of Costa Rica are only represent¬ 
ed in herbaria by greenhouse material? And then again, the types 
of many species described by Eeiehenbaeh consist of flowers only. 
Every specimen you prepare is a distinct contribution to the rec¬ 
ords on which floristlc work is to be done in the future. Bear 
this fact in mind when your inclination is strong to avoid the 
trouble' of saving some of those little things that appear in your 
collection, or attract your attention when you are afield. 
Dr. Standley will be with you soon. By the 
time this letter reaches you, he will be making preparations to 
leave Panama. 
With the best wishes in the WORLD, 
Yours faithfully, 
