NEW OR NOTEWORTHY ORCHIDS 
patentia. Racemus terminalis; bracteae spectabiles, con- 
duplicatae. Sepala lateralia oblique lanceolata. Sepalum 
dorsale elliptico-lanceolatum. Petala anguste spathulato- 
oblanceolata. Labellum columnae valde adnatum; lamina 
ovata, tricarinata. Columna crassa, brevis. 
Plant stout, epiphytic, about 14 cm. tall. Roots fibrous, 
flexuous, glabrous, stout. Stems decumbent at base, loosely 
enveloped by imbricating sheaths which are scarious and 
membranaceous on the lower part and foliaceous and leaf¬ 
bearing on the upper portion. Leaves 3 or 4, distichously 
spreading, ovate, elliptic or elliptic-oblong, 1.7-6.3 cm. long, 
1.6-2.4 cm. wide, the lowermost markedly the smallest, the 
uppermost often the largest, obtuse, clasping, coriaceous, 
the mid-nerve sulcate above and conspicuously carinate be¬ 
neath. Raceme simple, terminal, 5- or 6-flowered. Floral 
bracts conspicuous, conduplicate, lanceolate, foliaceous, the 
lowest 3.2 cm. long at the back, the upper ones successively 
smaller. Lateral sepals obliquely lanceolate, about 10.5 
mm. long, about 4 mm. wide, acuminate, 4-nerved, with one 
nerve prominently keeled dorsally near the apex, the poste¬ 
rior margin near the apex minutely crenulate. Dorsal sepal 
elliptic-lanceolate, 10 mm. long, obtuse, 5-nerved. Petals 
narrowly spatulate-oblanceolate, about 9 mm. long, 2.3 mm. 
wide just above the middle, obtuse, 1-nerved. Labellum 
adnate to the column nearly to the apex; lamina ovate, cor¬ 
date at base, 7 mm. long in the center, 6.6 mm. wide near 
the base, abruptly obtuse with a blunt mucro, slightly con¬ 
tracted on each side near the base, tricarinate with the 
lateral keels short and high and the central one low and 
running nearly to the apex. Column short and very stout, 
dilated above, about 5 mm. long to the apex of the erect 
crenulate clinandrium. 
The description was made from a single dried plant 
having well developed fusiform-ellipsoid ovaries. 
Epidendrum bracteosum recalls E. coriifolium Lindl. in 
habit, but appears to lack close allies. 
Costa Rica, Province of San Jose, Cerro de las Vueltas, 
Paul C. Slandley & Juvenal Valerio 43663, December 29, 
60 
