70 MR, H. bolus's contributions 



spreading for sorrje distance (not immediately deflexed) ; the side 

 sepals are narrower and more acute ; the labellum exactly or 

 nearly oblong (not broadly obovate) ; colour as above, while in 

 D. cormita it is invariably a deep velvety purple. 



It is an interesting question whether this is the _D. macrantha 

 of Thunberg (Flor. Cap. ed. 1823, p. 8). It agrees with the 

 description in the acute galea and the more spreading spur ; but 

 Thunberg says the spike of his plant is denser tlian in D, cormiia^ 

 the flowers slightly largei', and the labellum acute and carinate, 

 which is not the case wdth our plant. Then there is the difficulty 

 that there is no type of 2>, macrantha existing in Thunberg's 

 herbarium, and no other plant so far as known wliich agrees with 

 his description ; while it is certainly desirable that our plant 

 should be distinguished and published, a course I have thought 

 best to adopt in spite of the suspicion I cannot avoid entertain- 

 ing that this may be a form of Thunberg's species, 



Lindley (Gen. & Sp. Orch. p. 349) said th?it B.macrantliav;^^ 

 unknown to him ; but the name w^as subsequently applied by 

 gardeners to a very different plant, viz. D. crassicornis, Lindl. 

 (D. meffaceras^ Hook. f. Bot. Mag, t. 6529), an Eastern Cape 

 species. Under the latter number Hooker remarks : — " As to 

 D, macrantha of Thunberg, it is clearly a species very near to D- 

 cormita^ if not a variety of that plant ; there are numerous spei^i- 

 mens thus named in the Kew Herbaria, amongst them one from 

 the Sands about Salt Eiver, near Cape Town, collected by Dr. 

 Harvey, who has appended to it a ticket with ^ D. macrantha of 

 Thunberg. Differs from Z). cornuta merely in its labellum. I 

 cosnider it only a variety, yet its habit is different.' Wliatever 

 the difference of liabit is, it is lostiu the drying ; for the speci- 

 men is in this state undistinguishable from D. cormita^ and, like 

 it, has flowers not half the size of those of -D. megaceras, with 

 minute included petals." 



I will only add that I have drawn both species from life and 

 carefully compared tliem ; and though I have only seen two living 

 examples of the present plant at an interval of five years, I had 

 no difficulty or hesitation w^hatcver in distinguishing them froni 

 D, cornuta, the latter being extremely common. 



DisA ScrLLTT, Bolus^ n. sp. Glabra erecta sequipcdalis. Polia 

 inforiora liguhita acuminata, bat^i arete vaginantia, 10-12 cai. 

 longa, 1'0-1*5 cm. lata, superiora sensim minora, ad vaginas ad- 



