NEW OR NOTEWORTHY ORCHIDS 
Spiranthes Valerioi is apparently related to S. para¬ 
sitica A. Rich. & Gal., and to S. transversalis A. Rich. & Gal., 
but it differs from both plants in the form of the lip. It 
has larger flowers and different petals from S. nutaniiflora 
Schltr. 
A single herbarium specimen furnished this diagnosis. 
Costa Rica, Province of San Jose, Cerro de las Vueltas, 
Paul C. Standley & Juvenal Valerio 43952, December 29, 
1925-January 1, 1926. 2700-3000 meters altitude. “Wet 
forest, terrestrial; flowers pinkish white. One plant found.” 
(Type in Herb. Ames No. 33214.) 
Epipactis erosa A. A A sp. nov. Herba terrestris. 
Caulis perbrevis, vaginis laxis foliiferis omnino obtectus. 
Folia conferta, oblique ovato-lanceolata, acuminata. Pedun- 
culus elatus, pubescens, vaginis aliquando foliaceis ornatus. 
Racemus laxus, multiflorus. Flores patentes, parvi. Sepala 
lateralia triangulari-lanceolata, parte basali valde concava. 
Sepalum dorsale lanceolatum. Petala sepalo dorsali valde 
adnata, obliquissime rhombico-lanceolata, marginibus supe- 
rioribus crenulatis. Labellum triangulare, in basi valde sac- 
catum, marginibus denticulatis. 
Plant about 32 to over 40 cm. high. Rhizome decum¬ 
bent, stem-like, producing at the nodes coarse fibrous tlex- 
uous lanuginose roots. Stems short, about 3-5 cm. tall, 
entirely enveloped by the loose imbricating bases of dilated 
petioles. Leaves 4, crowded, petioled; lamina ovate-lanceo¬ 
late, oblique, 3-7.3 cm. long, 7.5-24 mm. wide, acute or 
acuminate, cuneate-narrowed at base, chartaceous, mid¬ 
nerve sulcate above and conspicuously carinate beneath; 
petiole gradually broadened into a dilated scarious infundib- 
uliform sheath, up to 3.3 cm. long including this sheath. 
Peduncle up to the raceme 16-25 cm. long, finely pubescent, 
with 5-10 ascending lanceolate sheaths of which the lower 
ones have a tubular clasping base and the lowermost is 
sometimes foliaceous. Raceme 4.7-11 cm. long, the apical 
undeveloped part slightly recurved, sublaxly flowered, rachis 
tomentose. Floral bracts narrowly triangular-lanceolate. 
9 
