TWO NEW ORCHIDS

FROM YUCATAN AND TRINIDAD

BY

OAKES AMES AND CHARLES SCHWEINFURTH

Among orchids sent to us for identification there are two undescribed species, a Pleurothallis submitted by the Field Museum of Natural History and an Epidendrum collected by W. E. Broadway. These may be characterized as follows:

Pleurothallis yucatanensis Ames & Schweinfurth, sp. nov.

Herba epiphytica, pusilla. Rhizoma repens, caulibus numerosis brevissimis ornatum. Folia oblanceolata, apice rotundato minute bilobulata. Racemi laxiflori, pauciflori. Flores pusilli. Sepala lateralia anguste lanceolata, uninervia Sepalum dorsale majus, lanceolatum, concavum. Petala triangulari-linearia. Labellum oblongum, apice late rotundatum, parte inferiore leviter dilatata. Columna apice alato-dilatata.

Plant very small, up to 5 cm. tall, epiphytic, recalling P. sertularioides Lindl. Rhizome creeping, entirely invested by imbricating scarious nervose sheaths. Roots fibrous, glabrous, stout for the plant. Stems very short, approximate, ascending, unifoliate, about 2.5 mm. long, when young entirely invested by imbricating tubular scarious sheaths. Leaf oblanceolate, 8-15 mm. long, about 2.8-3.5 mm. wide, broadly rounded at the apex with a minutely bilobed apiculate tip, gradually narrowed to a 1-jointed petiole, very rugose in the dried specimen. Inflorescence conspicuously surpassing the leaf, solitary, about 3 cm. tall; peduncle capillary, adorned below the middle with one close tubular sheath; racemes very lax, 2- to 5-flowered. Floral bracts loose, infundibuliform,

twice or thrice surpassed by the slender ascending pedicels. Flowers small, segments of the perianth subparallel, slightly thickened toward the apex. Lateral sepals free, narrowly lanceolate, 2.5 mm. long, 1- or obscurely 3-nerved, acute, carinate on the outer side. Dorsal sepal slightly longer, lanceolate, about 2.8 mm. long, obtuse, concave, obscurely 3-nerved. Petals linear-triangular, 2.5 mm. long, 1-nerved, acute, slightly oblique. Labellum much shorter, simple, very shortly clawed; lamina oblong or lanceolate-oblong in outline with the erect sides of the lower half slightly dilated from a cuneate base, about 1.4 mm. long, broadly rounded at the apex, 3-nerved, minutely auriculate at base. Column short, almost 1.2 mm. long, with an abrupt quadrate wing on either side of the upper half, extended in a foot. Anther cupuliform.

Pleurothallis yucatanensis suggests P. sertularioides Lindl., but differs in having racemose inflorescences and simple lip.

MEXICO, Yucatan, Campeche, Tuxpeña, C. L. Lundell 912, November 8, 1931. Common on tree trunks and old logs. (TYPE in Herb. Ames No. 37882).

Epidendrum Broadwayi Ames & Schweinfurth,

sp. nov.

Herba humilis, epiphytica. Caules caespitosi, tenuiter subclavati, omnino velati, mono-vel diphylli. Folia anguste linearia, graminea, acuta. Inflorescentia singula, quam folia multo brevior, laxe racemosa. Sepala lateralia oblique elliptico-lanceolata, apice conspicue carinato-mucronata. Sepalum dorsale oblanceolatooblongum. Petala oblanceolato-linearia. Labellum apici columnae adnatum, trilobatum, lobo terminali majore subquadrato triangulari-acuto vel retuso et apiculato.

Plant small, epiphytic, up to 17 cm. tall, closely

related to E. tipuloideum Lindl. Stems approximate, slenderly subclavate, about 4-5.5 cm. high, altogether invested by close tubular scarious sheaths which waste into fibres, one- or commonly two-leaved at the apex, rugose in the dried state. Leaves narrowly linear, up to 11.7 cm. long and 4.2 mm. wide (generally much shorter), acute, the mid-nerve more or less prominently sulcate above and carinate beneath. Inflorescence much shorter than the leaves, the longest scape about 4.5 cm. high, clasped at the base by a loose tubular sheath which is up to 1.6 cm. long. Raceme loosely 4- to 7-flowered. Floral bracts minute, lanceolate, membranaceous, many times exceeded by the slender pedicels. Pedicellate ovary up to 1.3 cm. long, laxly spreading. Flowers large for the plant, yellow in the dried specimen, rather fleshy in texture. Lateral sepals obliquely ellipticlanceolate, prominently adnate to the column at the base, 11 mm. long, 3.2-4 mm wide, dorsally carinatemucronate at the tip, prominently 7-nerved near the base. Dorsal sepal oblong-elliptic or oblanceolate-oblong, about 10 mm. long, 3.1-3.7 mm. wide, acute, conspicuously 7-nerved below. Petals oblanceolate-linear, 8.6-9.3 mm. long, more or less oblique, acute, 3-nerved. Labellum adnate to the apex of the column, 3-lobed; lamina about 5.1-5.5 mm. long from the center of the cordate base to the tip, about 6.4 mm. wide when expanded, bicallose at base; lateral lobes semiovate or rounded, obtuse, extending to about half the length of of the lip, erose on the margins; terminal lobe much larger, irregularly subquadrate, with a prominent triangular acute apex, or retuse and apiculate. Column stout, about 6.2 mm. long, dilated above. Anther broadly ovoid. Pollinia 4, complanate-ovoid.

Epidendrum Broadwayi is very similar in habit to

Epidendrum tipuloideum Lindl., but it has a dissimilar anterior lobe of the lip and 3-nerved petals. The flowers also are apparently of a different color, being yellow in the dried specimen.

TRINIDAD, North coast, Saut d'Eau W. E. Broadway 7444, January 18, 1931. Grows in tufts on a tree. (TYPE in Herb. Ames No. 37893).

ON THE IDENTITY OF

KIRSANNA

BY

F. TRACY HUBBARD

In September 1930 Dr. C. S. Coon of the Peabody Museum submitted specimens of seed for identification under the name of Kirsanna. These had been collected for him in Morocco by Gordon Browne in the Valley of the Iherrushen where they are grown by the Tribe of Gzennaya, Rif.

The following notes of economic interest in regard to this seed were furnished by Dr. Coon. In the Rif the seeds are used for making bread after they have been thoroughly soaked to extract the poisonous element which they contain. They are placed in flat wicker baskets and weighted down in streams and allowed to remain until the poisonous element is judged to be removed. In the Rif the Berber vernacular name of the seed is Shasanna and the Arabic name is Kirsanna. Dr. Coon further states that the name of the seed in Armenia is Kushna and that it is used there for feeding cattle after the poisonous element has been removed by soaking.

After several unsuccessful attempts the seed was finally grown to maturity at the Botanical Garden and proves to be Vicia Ervilia (L.) Willd.