Tas. 8070. 
CY PRIPEDIUM TIBETICUM. 
Eastern Tibet and Western China. 
Orcuipaces. Tribe CypRiPEDIEs. 
Cyprirepium. Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 634, ex parte ; 
Pfitzer in Engl. & Prantl. Pflanzenf. vol. ii. 6, p. 82. 
Cypripedium tibeticum, King ex Rolfe in Journ. Linn. Soe. vol. xxix. p. 320; 
vol. xxxvi. p. 66; Franch.im Journ. de Bot. 1894, p. 250; King & Pantling 
in Ann. R. Bot. Gard. Cale. vol. viii. p. 341, t. 447; Rolfe in Orch. Rev. 
1905, p. 194; aff. C. macrantho, Swartz, sed segmentis reticulato-venosis, 
et staminodio late cordato-ovato nec trulliformi differt. 
Herba terrestris, }-1} ped. alta. Oaules erecti, pubescentes, 3—4-phylli, basi 
vaginis 2 vel 3 inzequalibus obtecti, apice uniflori. olia ovata vel ovato- 
oblonga, acuta vel subobtusa, membranacea, plicata, puberula et ciliata, 
subsessilia, 2-5 poll. longa, }-2% poll. lata. Bractese ovate, acute vel 
acuminate, concave, foliacese, 13-3 poll. longw. Flores magni, rubro- 
purpureo-striati et reticulati, labello et staminodio atro-purpureo 
suffusis. Sepalwm posticum late ovatum, acutum, concavum, 1j-1? poll. 
longum ; sepala lateralia connata, quam posticum minora. Petala ellip- 
tica vel ovato-lanceolata, acuminata, 13-2 poll. longa. Labellum ventri- 
cosum, globosum, 1}-2 poll. longum, ore semicirculari. Colwmna ? poll. 
longa; staminodium late ovatum, obtusum, convexum, 6-7 lin. longum.— 
ne macranthon var. ventricosum, Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. vol. vi. p. 170, non 
arriere. 
This handsome Cypripedium was discovered as long ago 
as 1879, at Pitzala, in the province of Chumbi, by a native 
collector of Sir George King, when it received the manu- 
script name now adopted. It was, however, not published, 
and for about thirteen years the plant was regarded as a 
form of the Siberian C. macranthon, Swartz, before its 
differential characters were pointed out. At this time it 
was shown that a Himalayan species had also been included 
under ©. macranthon, to which the name C. himalaicum, 
Rolfe, was given. Both were subsequently collected by 
Pantling, Pratt, and Wilson, while one or the other has 
also been obtained by other collectors. The first-named 
was successfully introduced to cultivation by Mr. E. H. 
Wilson, Collector for Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, who 
brought home plants from Tachienlu, in Western Szechuen, 
near the Tibetan border. These arrived in April, 1905, 
aud flowered with the importers in the following June, 
when the accompanying plate was prepared. Mr. Wilson 
remarks that the species is very common on the mountains 
ApRiL Ist, 1906. 
