CENTRAL AMERICAN ORCHIDS 
specifically inseparable from the species I have observed in 
Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama that is usually 
referred to Epidendrum imatophyllum Lindl. In habit and 
floral structure it resembles the Guiana plant in Lindley’s 
herbarium so closely that to recognize it as a new species 
seems unwise. The only differences between the labellum 
of E. lorifolium and E. imatophyllum that I have been able 
to detect are such as normally occur in species which are 
characterized by dentate, laciniate or fimbriate perianth 
segments. 
The labellum of E. imatophyllum both in Central 
American and Guiana material exhibits a wide range of 
variation. This is very true of the terminal lobe which is 
sometimes entire, but not infrequently more or less dentate. 
In Lindley’s sketch the tip of the labellum is drawn as if it 
were retuse, but the original description calls for an apiculate 
tip. 
Lindley described and drew the petals of i?. imatophyllum 
as laciniate on the margin. In my studies I have found a 
wide range of variation in the margin of the petals. Recently, 
in Yucatan, I found a large clump of the species in which the 
flowers exhibited entire, crenate and dentate petals. Con¬ 
sequently I regard this character as of trivial importance in 
any attempt to recognize significant differences in E. ima¬ 
tophyllum. 
In 1879 Reichenbach published a new Mexican plant 
under the name Epidendrum palpigerum. Although this 
plant has remained obscure it is pretty well clarified by a 
flower and sketches in Reichenbach’s herbarium. My 
studies have convinced me that it is conspecific with E. 
imatophyllum. If, however, it should prove that a new name 
is needed for the Central American species, then E. pal¬ 
pigerum Reichb. f. would take precedence over E. lorifolium 
Schltr. 
To bring out clearly the position I have taken with re¬ 
gard to E. lorifolium, I have had prepared the series of 
drawings reproduced below. These drawings do not in¬ 
dicate the extremes of variation, but simply exhibit Lindley’s 
semi-diagrammatic sketch of a flower of E. imatophyllum, a 
44 
