TROPICAL AMERICAN ORCHIDS 
Costa Rica, Pejivalle, C. H. Lankester 866, May 16, 
1924. 2300 feet altitude. Flowers dull olivaceous. (Type 
in Herb. Ames No. 28694.) 
Stellilabium distantiflorum A. & S. sp. nov. Herba 
gracillima, aphylla ut videtur. Caules aliquid ramosi. Flores 
perparvi, distantes, virides. Sepala suborbicularia, cucul- 
lata, uninervia, acuta. Petala oblongo-lanceolata, trinervia, 
ciliolata. Labellum hastatum, trilobatum, pubescens; lobi 
laterales basales, minuti, retrorsi; lobus medius ovatus, 
multo major. Columna quadrilobata. 
Plant slender, leafless. Roots fibrous, flexuous, in dried 
condition stout, flattened and longitudinally sulcate (re¬ 
sembling those of Taeniophyllum). Stems long and slender, 
the tallest exceeding 46 cm. in height (incomplete in our 
specimens), flexuous-arcuate, with several long simple 
branches, basal portion terete, entire upper part flattened in 
the dried specimen, about 1 mm. in diameter. Flowers in 
a very loose raceme on the upper part of the branches, ap¬ 
parently about 11 or 12 mm. apart, about 6 mm. across from 
tip to tip of the lateral sepals when spread out. Lateral 
sepals suborbicular, oblique, concave, about 3 mm. long, 
2.7 mm. wide, prominently 1-nerved, obliciuely acute. Dorsal 
sepal similar, more strongly cucullate. Petals oblong- 
lanceolate, 3-nerved below the middle, about 4 mm. long, 
1.7 mm. wide, acute, margins finely ciliolate. Labellum 
hastate-ovate, 3-lobed, 3-nerved, finely hairy throughout, 
margins finely ciliolate; lateral lobes small, basal, retrorse, 
triangular-oblong, obtuse, about 1.1 mm. long and .8 mm. 
wide at the base; middle lobe ovate, abruptly acute, about 
2.5 mm. long, 2 mm. wide across the middle, convex and 
thickened in the middle, with three clusters of longer hairs 
in the very middle. Column low, 4-lobed; anterior lobe pro¬ 
truding onto and deeply connate with the labellum, con¬ 
cave within, finely hairy without; side lobes Ungulate in out¬ 
line, obliquely fleshy-thickened, closely adorned with long 
forking hairs; dorsal lobe Ungulate in outline, triquetrous in 
transverse section by reason of a high fleshy boss, hairy. 
Pollinia four, complanate-pyriform. 
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