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196 FIELDIANA: BOTANY, VOLUME 28<br />

acutum. Sepala lateralia falcato-oblonga, acuta. Petala oblanceolato-linearia,<br />

acuta. Labellum in partes duas divisum; pars basalis<br />

columnae parallela, tubulari-concava, expansa elliptica; pars anterior<br />

leviter convexa, ovato-subquadrata, apice profunde bilobata.<br />

Columna conspicua, in pedem sensim producta.<br />

Plant epiphytic, sprawling. Stems irregularly much branched,<br />

slender, bearing pseudobulbs at more or less remote intervals, producing<br />

scattered fibrous, filiform, glabrous roots mostly beneath or<br />

in the vicinity of the pseudobulbs or among the remote strobiliform<br />

clusters of leaves on the younger parts; stem-members adorned with<br />

several short infundibuliform sheaths which are more or less distant<br />

and evanescent in age, up to 9.3 cm. long in our specimens. Pseudobulbs<br />

well-developed only on the older portions of the plant, narrowly<br />

ovoid to ellipsoid, unifoliate at the apex, about 1.5 cm. or less<br />

long and apparently surmounting abbreviated stems which are enveloped<br />

by several pairs of closely imbricating evanescent leafbearing<br />

sheaths. Upper portions of the stems producing short strobiliform<br />

clusters of several distichous, closely imbricating leafbearing<br />

sheaths. Leaves small, apparently fleshy, variable in size<br />

and shape, elliptic to oblong or linear, subacute to abruptly rounded<br />

with a minutely tridenticulate more or less oblique apex, up to 4.6<br />

cm. long, 3.5-8.5 mm. wide, sessile at the narrowed complicate base.<br />

Inflorescences abbreviated, 1-flowered, in the axils of leaf-bearing<br />

sheaths on the younger portions of the plant. Flowers very small on<br />

relatively elongate pedicels, with subfleshy segments. Sepals pale<br />

greenish yellow. Dorsal sepal elliptic-oblong, acute, 3 -nerved, about<br />

7 mm. long and 3 mm. wide. Lateral sepals obliquely oblong, lightly<br />

falcate, acute, 3-nerved or obscurely 5-nerved, about 7 mm. long and<br />

3 mm. wide. Petals oblanceolate-linear, acute, 3-nerved, about 6 mm.<br />

long and 1.3 mm. wide, maroon-purple or wine purple-red. Lip about<br />

as long as the other segments, with the lower half erect and parallel<br />

to the column and the anterior half recurved in natural position, pale<br />

yellow with dull lavender spots on anterior lobe; lower portion<br />

tubular-concave, broadly elliptic when expanded, minutely erose in<br />

front and extending onto the anterior portion; anterior portion lightly<br />

convex, ovate-subquadrate, deeply bilobed with overlapping lobules,<br />

the lateral margins slightly constricted above the middle and irregularly<br />

denticulate, provided with a conical tubercle beneath the apical<br />

indentation. Column prominent, arcuate, slightly dilated above,<br />

cream-colored, about 4 mm. high at the back, extended gradually into<br />

a conspicuous foot (Fig. 38).<br />

Type in Herb. Ames no. 64858, isotype<br />

Mus., no. 1206998, lower southeastern slopes of Carrao-tepuf, state<br />

of Bolivar, alt. 1675-1980 m., December 5-6, 1944, Julian A. Steyermark<br />

60873, "on dead mossy log".<br />

in herb. Chi. Nat. Hist.<br />

There do not appear to be any near allies of this species.<br />

The specific name is in allusion to the short crowded branches.

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