CENTRAL AMERICAN ORCHIDS 
ovoid, glandular-pubescent. Epiphytic herb with radical, 
sessile, membranaceous leaves. Scape densely long-hairy. 
Flowers ascending or erect in loose few-flowered racemes. 
Bracts of the inflorescence ample. 
Lankesterella is a member of the Spiranthinae, dis¬ 
tinguished in part from its allies by the free petals, and 
transversely complanate curved column which is produced 
into a foot. There is not any rostellar projection as in 
Spiranthes and its allies. In habit suggesting those species 
of Stenorrhynchus which Schlechter transferred to Clado- 
bium. 
Lankesterella costaricensis Ames sp. nov. Radices 
carnosae, albidae, villosae, patentes. Folia rosulata, mem- 
branacea, sessilia, margine ciliata, elliptica, acuta. Scapus 
longe glanduloso-pubescens, infra racemum ebracteatus. 
Racemus plus minusve quinqueflorus, laxi- vel densiflorus. 
Rachis flexuosa. Bracteae inflorescentiae flores juveniles 
aequantes, ovatae, longe glandulosae. Pedicellus cum 
ovario dense et longe glandulosus, demum bracteas excedens. 
Flores plus minusve inter se distantes. Sepala lateralia 
mentum obtusum formantia, supra basim libera, longe 
triangularia, acuta, extus dense glanduloso-villosa. Se- 
palum dorsale liberum, oblongum, subobtusum, concavum, 
extus dense glanduloso-villosum. Petala oblonga, usque ad 
apicem angustata, apice villifera, trinervia. Labellum 
elongatum, basi saccatum vel valde concavum; lamina supra 
saccum pandurata, margine utrinque prope basim labelli 
breviter appendiculata. Columna in pedem producta, 
supra medium transverse complanata, recurvata. Anthera 
sagittata. 
Roots coarse, whitish, villose. Stems abbreviated. 
Leaves rosulate spreading, epetiolate, 1-2.5 cm. long, up 
to 1 cm. wide, narrowly elliptic, acute, narrowed toward the 
base, ciliate on the margin, membranaceous, reddish brown 
when dry. Scape with the raceme 5-10 cm. long, densely 
glandular-villose. Raceme 3-7 cm. long, three to ten or 
more flowered. Rachis flexuose, densely glandular-villose. 
Bracts of the raceme 5-15 mm. long, ovate, acuminate. 
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