TROPICAL AMERICAN ORCHIDS 
rescentiae singulae vel binae, folium superantes. Racemi 
breves, secimdiflori. Sepala in tubum connata, omnia uni- 
carinata. Petala minuta, obliquissime obtriangularia. La- 
bellum minutissimum, triangulari-ovatum, concavum, basi 
callo transverso ornatum. 
Plant slender, caespitose. Roots numerous, fibrous, 
flexuous, minutely puberulent, longitudinally sulcate in the 
dried specimen. Stems slender, monophyllous, entirely con¬ 
cealed by sheaths, 2-8 cm. long, about .9 mm. in diameter. 
Sheaths two to six (usually five to six), long, tubular, 
tightly clasping, with about six prominent longitudinal 
nerves forming angles, terminating in an infundibuliform 
spreading margined fimbriate apex, the uppermost sheath 
having a looser upper portion with more prominent lamina. 
Leaf solitary, erect, lanceolate-oblong, sometimes oblique or 
falcate, 2.2-4.3 cm. long, 3.7-7.7 mm. wide, fleshy in the 
alcoholized specimen, coriaceous in dried material, acute, 
dorsally mucronate, cuneate-narrowed to a short chan¬ 
nelled petiole, mid-nerve sulcate above and carinate beneath. 
Inflorescences one or two, exceeding the leaf. Peduncle be¬ 
low the inflorescence filiform, 3-4 cm. long, with about four 
inconspicuous infundibuliform sheaths. Racemes short, 
second, erect or slightly arcuate, the mature ones 2-2.8 cm. 
long, 7-11-flowered. Sepals all connate into a tube which is 
about 4 mm. long. Lateral sepals concave-saccate at the base, 
bidentate above, acutish at the apex, each 1-nerved and 
sharply keeled on the dorsal surface. Dorsal sepal a little 
shorter and broader than each lateral sepal, about 3.45 mm. 
long (from the base), obtuse, with a broadly ovate free tip 
about 1 mm. long, 3-nerved with the mid-nerve carinate, 
especially at the base. Petals minute, very obliquely obtri- 
angular, about 1.3 mm. long, 1-nerved, very narrow at 
the base. Labellum very minute, broadly triangular-ovate, 
.9 mm. long (including the short claw), subequally wide be¬ 
low, concave, obtuse, 3-nerved, with a fleshy transverse keel 
at the base. Column minute, with a fleshy erect lobe in the 
rear and with a thinner but prominent triangular extension 
of the rear wall of the clinandrium. [Plate 22: habit life 
size. 1, labellum X 14. 2, petals with column and labellum 
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