THE MEXICAN ORCHIDS published by A. Richard and H. Galeotti, in Annales des Sciences Naturelles in 1845, and described with exasperating brevity, (the average length of the descriptions hardly exceeding three lines of print), have been a source of perplexity for students of the Mexican flora. Several of the species are known only through the type specimens in the herbarium of the Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle de Paris. Among the extremely rare orchids is Epidendrum rhynchophorum. This species was originally described as follows: "Pseudobulbis ovoideis 1-phyllis; folio oblongo-lanceolato, acuto; flor. luteis, racemo 4-5 floro: labello trilobo, adnato, lobis lateralibus truncatis, intermedio angusto-lineari. Very recently, while collecting for the Arnold Arboretum in the Department of Comayagua, Honduras, Mr. J. B. Edwards found Epidendrum rhynchophorum in full flower in May. It has seemed worth while to publish an account of Mr. Edwards' specimens and by means of a drawing, to remove the ambiguity caused by Richard and Galeotti's inadequate description. The extension of range from Mexico to Comayagua, 1 HARVARD COLLEGE JUN 26 1933 LIBRARY Honduras, is remarkable, but in this regard it has been found that several Mexican orchids extend to Comayagua, indicating that intensive exploration may prove that many more may be characterized by a wider range than has been thought probable. In the original description, Epidendrum rhynchophorum is referred to the section Encyclium, although the plants are described as being pseudobulbous with a divided labellum adnate to the column. John Lindley, when he prepared his monograph of Epidendrum for his Folia Orchidacea, placed the species in the section Aulizeum where it seems properly to belong. In conformity with the characters laid down for Aulizeum the labellum is adnate to the lower half of the column, with the lateral lobes erect and concealing the anther. The following description has been prepared from dried specimens, and flowers preserved in alcohol. Epidendrum rhynchophorum A. Rich. & Gal. in Comptes Rend. Acad. Sci. Par. 18 (1844) 305, 512, nomen; in Ann. Sci. Nat. ser. 3, 3 (1845) 20. Epidendrum rhynchanthum Schltr. in Beihefte Bot. Rhizome stout, prorepent, emitting coarse, fibrous roots. Pseudobulbs approximate on the rhizome, 3–5.5 cm. long. lageniform, slender or sometimes much swollen, monophyllous, when immature completely concealed by ample, tubular sheaths. Leaves 13-26 cm. long, up to 1 cm. wide, linear-oblong, unequally bilobed at the apex. Peduncle terminal, 7-9 cm. long below the raceme, slender with an elongated, spathaceous sheath at base in the axil of the leaf; raceme 6-12 cm. long, loosely 3-7-flowered, with the flowers 1.3-2.5 cm. apart. Bracts of the raceme squamiform, about 3 mm. long. Pedicels with the ovary 1.5-2 cm. long, glabrous. Flowers brownish near the base of the sepals, otherwise yellowish or yellowish green with the lateral lobes of the labellum whitish. Sepals about 2.5 cm. long, scarcely 2 mm. wide, directed obliquely forward, linear-triangular, acute. Petals similar, about 1.5 cm. long, 3-nerved. Labellum up to 13.5 mm. long, conspicuously three lobed, adnate to the lower half of the column; mid-lobe up to 9 mm. long, about 1 mm. wide, linear, tapering gradually toward the acute tip; lateral lobes about 3 mm. long and 2.5 mm. wide, rotundate-dolabriform, erect, appressed to the apex of the column; disc conspicuously bicallose, the calli papilliform. Column stout, about 5 mm. long, adnate for about one half its length to the labellum, with a conspicuous terminal rostriform appendage which is dorsal, porrect and blunt. MEXICO, Vera Cruz, on the parasitical Andromeda at 4,000 feet, Galeotti 5077. (TYPE in Herb. Mus. d'Hist. Nat. Par.). REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS, Department of Comayagua, Las Jaguas in the vicinity of Minas de Oro. Epiphyte in open mountain forest, at 4,200 feet altitude. Flowers yellow and brown. May 3, 1932. J. B. Edwards 143. EXPLANATION OF ILLUSTRATION Plant drawn natural size from Honduran specimens (Edwards 143). 1, front view of column showing the rostriform dorsal appendage exceeding the anther. 2, side view of labellum in natural position. 3, side view of labellum and column with the labellum depressed to show point of attachment. 4, labellum with the lateral lobes spread out. 5, the flower drawn to show the relative proportions of the sepals, petals and labellum. AMONG ORCHIDS recently collected in Honduras by Mr. J. B. Edwards a new species of Octomeria has been recognized. There are no close allies of this species among the Octomerias recorded as natives of Central America. It is in habit similar to the Brazilian O. brevifolia Cogn. from which it differs in the size and form of the labellum. From dried specimens it appears to belong to the section of the genus characterized by semiterete leaves. Octomeria hondurensis Ames, sp. nov. Herba epiphytica, parva. caespitosa, caulibus gracilibus teretiusculis. Folium subcylindraceum, leviter arcuatum, valde carnosum. Flores satis numerosi, densiusculi, fasciculati. Sepala oblongo-lanceolata, subacuta, trinervia. Petala similia. Labellum distincte trilobatum; lobis lateralibus erectis; lobo medio oblongo, apice tridentato; disco prope basim bicarinato. Columna generis. Epiphytic herb about 10 cm. high. Stems caespitose, terete, 8-9 cm. long, several-jointed, with fibrous remains of sheaths adhering near the base, monophyllous, about 1 mm. in diameter when dried. Leaf about 2.5 cm. long, about 1 mm. in diameter, semiterete, acute, lightly sul [1] HARVARD COLLEGE JUN 26 1933 LIBRARY The Mis |