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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.