(the habitat of S. Princeps), assures me that the two are 
One species. . , ee 
S. membranacewm was discovered by Thunberg during 
his travels in the Cape in 1772—1775, and appears to 
be a common species in the neighbourhood of Port 
Elizabeth, where it has been found by many succeed- _ 
ing collectors, extending thence into British Kaffraria. ° 
The tubers from which the plant figured here were grown 
were presented to the Royal Gardens by Mr. J. O’Brien, 
of Harrow on the Hill; they were planted in loam ina 
“ Cape Bulb House,” and flowered in May, 1889. 
Desor. Stem one to two feet.high, very stout. Leaves 
two, four to six inches long, opposite, radical, spreading 
horizontally and revolute beyond the middle, rounded 
ovate, acute, many-nerved, thick and fleshy, bright green 
above, paler beneath. Scape as thick as the little finger, 
pale brown; sheaths one and a half to two and a half 
inches long, appressed, membranous, the lower green with’ 
a leafy tip. Spike three to five inches long, oblong, dense- 
flowered ; bracts ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, about equal- . 
ling the ovary. Flowers nodding, an inch broad across 
the sepals, bright or pale carmine. Dorsal sepals linear- 
oblong, and with the petals deflexed; lateral spreading 
and deflexed, oblong, subacute. Petals lanceolate, acu- 
minate, serrate beyond the middle. Lip hemispheric, 
with a recurved serrulate triangular tip. Column deflexed 
above the middle; rostellum acute ; stigmatic lobe large, 4 
broad, emarginate or bifid.—J. D. H. 
Fig. 1, Flower; 2, top of ovary and column; 3, pollinium :—all enlarged. 
