TROPICAL AMERICAN ORCHIDS 
[Fig. 4: 1, dorsal sepal X about 3. 2, petal X 3. 3, tip of 
inflorescence X about 2. 4, lateral sepal X 3. 5, labellum, 
front view X 2. 6, column X 3. 7, labellum, side view X 
about 2.] 
Costa Rica, Santa Clara de Cartago, C. H. Lankester 
562, December 23, 1923. “Flower between Purple (true) & 
Rhodamine. [Ridgway] Column white, on mossy tree trunks 
10' to 15' up as a rule.” (Type in Herb. Ames No. 28121.) 
Elleanthus trilobatus A. & S. sp. nov. Herba gra¬ 
cilis, alta. Caulis vaginis foliorum pro parte obtectus. Folia 
disticha, lanceolata, rigida. Inflorescentiae singulae, ter- 
minales. Racemi arcuati, densiflori. Bracteae longe acu- 
minatae, conspicuae. Sepala oblonga, complicato-acuta, con- 
cava. Petala linearia, acuta vel obtusa. Labellum flabel- 
latum, parte anteriore trilobatum, margine eroso-lacerato. 
Discus basi saccata callis binis approximatis et antice cari- 
nis geminis triangulatis ornatus. 
Plant slender, 70-80 cm. tall to the summit of the raceme 
(broken off at the decumbent base). Stem slender, about 1.5 
mm. in diameter, subterete, partially concealed by the leaf- 
sheaths (lower portion of stem leafless and sheathed only). 
Sheaths close, tubular, striate-nervose, lower ones terminated 
by a black band. Leaves distichous, narrowly lanceolate to 
narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, 3.9-18.7 cm. long, 5-30 mm. 
wide below the middle, acuminate above to a sharply and 
obliquely 3-toothed apex, cuneate-narrowed to a sessile 
base, spreading-ascending, 3.4-7 cm. apart, plicate, many- 
nerved with five nerves prominently raised beneath. Inflo¬ 
rescences terminal, arcuate, very dense, many-flowered; ra¬ 
ceme 6.5-8 cm. long, 3.5-4 cm. across in the dried specimen. 
Floral bracts ovate-lanceolate, abruptly long-acuminate, 
the larger lowermost up to 3 cm. long, far exceeding the 
flowers, nervose, concave. Rachis strongly rugose, more or 
less pubescent. Ovary densely tomentose. Flowers small. 
Sepals sparingly pubescent on the outer surface. Lateral 
sepals obliquely oblong, strongly concave at base, 7.3 mm. 
long, 3.5 mm. or more wide below the middle, acute and 
complicate-mucronate, about 10-nerved. Dorsal sepal obo- 
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