Tab. 5872. 

 STENOGLOTTIS fimbriata. 



Spotted Natal Orchid. 



Nat. Ord. Orchide.e. — Gtoandria Monandria. 



Gen. Char. — Sepala margine erosula, late ovata, obtusa, conniventia, 

 demum patentia, libera, aaqualia. Petala sepalis consimilia sed minora et 

 magis erosa, libera, concava. Labellum elongatum, lineari-oblongum, ecal- 

 caratum, rectum, a?stivatione involutum, alte 3-lobum, lobis subaequilongis 

 parallelis intermedio august iore. Columna brevis, erecta, obtusa, locuHs 

 parallelis ; staminodiis erectis falcatis obtusis lateribus columna? adnatis. 

 ■Pollinia erecta, caudiculis brevibus, glandulis singulis sacculo absconditis, 

 granulis magnis laxis, rostello brevi latiusculo obtuso. — Herba Capensis, 

 tuberibus elongatis fasciculatis. Folia omnia radicalia, numerosa, rosulata, 

 hneari-oblonga, mucronulata, undulata. Scapi graciles, bracteati. Spica 

 laxiflora. Flores parvi, pallide rosei. 



Stenoglottis fimbriata, Lindl. in Hook. Comp. Bot. Mag. vol. ii. p. 210. 

 Harvey, Thes. Capens., t. 56. 



A very curious and pretty little plant, which I refer without 

 doubt to S. fimbriata of Lindley, though I do not find the 

 petals to be lacerate at the edge, as described by that author, 

 but only erose on the margins under a high magnifying power, 

 as are the sepals and labellum, though in a less degree. It is 

 a native of various parts of the Cape district, from Grahams- 

 town to Port Natal, and is evidently a very variable plant, for 

 I find two forms of it in a collection of drawings of Cape 

 orchids made by Mr. Saunderson of Natal (and of which lie 

 has kindly allowed me to keep copies). Of these forms neither 

 quite agrees with that here figured, both have larger leaves, in 

 one these are quite unspotted, and the lobes ol the lip are 

 broader ; in the other the leaves are obscurely spotted, the 

 bracts larger than in our figure, and the lateral lobes of the 

 lip deeply toothed on the outer margin. The flowers are 



DECEMBER 1ST, 1870. 



