502 MR. H. N. RIDLEY ON THE 



ultra bipedali; foliis longissimis gramineis flaccidis linearibus 

 acuminatis, quam caulis paullo brevioribus ; racemo plurifloro 

 laxiusculo ; floribus parvis ; bracteis linearibus acuminatis, quam 

 ovarium nonnunquam longioribus ; galea cucullata obtusa, se- 

 palis lateralibus ovalibus falcatis obtusiusculis ; labello lineari 

 lanceolate- acuminate- crispo obtuso ; calcare filiformi pendulo 

 brevi ; columna brevissima, lobis rostelli brevioribus et crassiori- 

 bus quaininprsecedente, obtusis ; ovario minus scabro ; pedicello 

 longiore ; capsula oblonga. 



Madagascar : insula Sancta Marie, Boivin ! in Herb. Brit. 

 Mus. 



This is a taller plant than B. gracilis, Lindl., attaining a height 

 of 2| feet, with numerous straight fibrous roots and flaccid linear 

 acuminate grassy leaves a foot in length. The raceme is long 

 and rather lax ; the flowers rather smaller than those of the pre- 

 ceding species, the ovary less scabrous, and the bracts in propor- 

 tion a little longer, the lower ones overtopping the ovary. The 

 apex of the galea is blunter, the lobes of the rostellum shorter, 

 thicker, and more obtuse. The capsule is rather large for the size 

 of the flowers, 4 lines long by 1| in section, oblong in shape. 



Habexarta. 



§ Peristylus. 



Habenaria spiralis. — Satyrium spirale, Thouars, Orch. Afr. 

 t. 9. — Benthamia spiralis, Rich. Orch. Maur. p. 44. — Spiranthes 

 africana, Lindley, Spreng. Syst. Ve'ge't. iii. p. 709. — Peristylus 

 spiralis, 8. Moore in Flora Maur. and Seych. p. 335. 



Madagascar, Hilsenberg df Bojer\ N. Betsileo-land in palu- 

 dibus, Hildebrandt no. 3975 ! Imerina, Deans Cowan ! Kerb. 

 Brit. Mus. ; Baron no. 849 ! Parker ! Herb. Kew. Mauritius, 

 Boutonl Ayresl in Herb. Kew. Bourbon, Balfour ! Ins. Mas- 

 carenes, J. Macgregor ! Herb. Brit. Mus. 



Apparently a common plant, with rather large tubers f inch 

 long, a slender stem a foot high, narrow grassy erect leaves 3 to 

 4| inches high, and a rather lax raceme of numerous small flowers. 

 The bracts are 3 lines in length, a little longer than the ovary. 

 The sepals and petals are similar both in size and shape, ligulate 

 and blunt ; but the latter are very fleshy and dark-coloured in 

 the dry .state, while the former are thin and pale. In a drawing 

 made by Deans Cowan, the sepals are light green and the petals 



