ORCHIDACEAE QUAEDAM AMERICANAE 
Costa Rica, Las Lajas de San Isidro Heredia, H. Pit- 
tier 14053, September 1900. 1800 meters altitude. (Type 
in U. S. Nat. Herb. No. 577951. Fragment of type in 
Herb. Ames No. 22655.) 
Epidendrum Ottonis Reichb. /. in Hamb. Gartenz. 
14 (1858) 213. 
Nidema Ottonis & Millsp. Bahama FI. (1920) 94. 
This species has been reported from Venezuela, Porto 
Rico, Cuba, Jamaica, and Trinidad. In the Kew Herbarium 
there is material collected by Powell which extends the 
range to Panama. 
Panama, C. W. Powell 131. (Herb. Kew.) 
Epidendrum pachyrachis Ames sp. nov. Caules 
rigidi. Folia disticha, coriacea, elliptico-lanceolata, acuta. 
Racemus deflexus; rachis valde incrassata. Bracteae inflor- 
escentiae triangulares, rigidae. Flores carnosi. Sepala 
lateralia elliptico-lanceolata, acuta. Sepalum dorsale ellipti- 
cum, acutum. Petala quam sepala multo angustiora, acuta. 
Labellum transverse ellipticum vel subreniforme, valde car- 
nosum, margine irregulariter et sparse crenatum, apice 
retusum et apiculatum. Discus bicallosus. Columna brevis. 
Epiphytic herb up to 36 cm. tall, with leathery dis¬ 
tichous elliptic-lanceolate leaves, terminated by a rigidly 
deflexed raceme of fleshy flowers. Roots very coarse, 
spreading, about 2 mm. in diameter. Stems rigid. Leaves 
4-6.5 cm. long, up to 1.7 cm. wide, very coriaceous, rigid, 
margins revolute when dry, mid-nerve prominent beneath, 
elliptic-lanceolate, acute, jointed to the closely oppressed 
cylindrical sheaths which conceal the stem. Sheaths about 
1.5 cm. long, rugulose in dried specimens, about 5 mm. in 
diameter. Raceme terminal, subtended by several sheathing 
rigid bracts, with the peduncle about 4 cm. long; rachis 
very much thickened, about 2 mm. thick. Bracts of the 
inflorescence thick, rigid, 5-6 mm. long, triangular, acu¬ 
minate from a broad base. Ovary smooth, about 1 cm. long. 
Flowers very fleshy. Lateral sepals about 8 mm. long, 4.5 
mm. wide, elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, acute. Dorsal 
