L. purpuratus, Lindl., appears to be very common in 

 Upper Guinea, W. tropical Africa, and it has also been 

 collected by Dr. Schweinf urth in British East Africa, and 

 in the Congo Free State by J. Dybowski. The plant 

 figured was sent from Abyssinia to Kew by A. B. Wylde, 

 Esq., author of " Modern Abyssinia," with a note that it 

 " grows anywhere above seven thousand feet." But con- 

 sidering that this plant inhabits the lowlands of western 

 tropical Africa, it is very probable that this note was 

 intended for some other plant sent at the same time. 



L. purpuratus, Lindl., should not be confused with 

 L. Krebsii, var. purpurata, H. N. Ridley (Gard. Chron. 

 1885, vol. ii. p. 102 ; Warner's Orchid Album, vol. vi. pi. 

 259), a native of South Africa. 



Descr. — A terrestrial, tuberous, glabrous herb, "forming 

 large clumps" (Dr. Rowland). Tubers " similar to those 

 of a kidney potato, produced in chains nearly a yard long " 

 (Barter). Leaves lanceolate, one to two feet long, and as 

 much as two inches broad in the middle, acute, plicate, 

 about seven-nerved, with numerous secondary nerves. 

 Scapes numerous in old plants, erect, two to four and a 

 half feet high, flowering-part from nine to fifteen inches 

 long, closely sheathed at the base; sheaths smaller, and 

 more distant upward; uppermost ones bract-like, acute. 

 Floivers rose and purple, about one and a half inch in 

 diameter ; pedicels, including ovary, three-quarters to one 

 and a half inch long. Bracts membranous, linear, acute, 

 shorter than the pedicels, soon shrivelling. Sepals and 

 petals similar in shape and colour, narrow-oblong, scarcely 

 acute, wavy, rose-pink. Labellum three-lobed ; lateral 

 lobes short, rounded, paler coloured; intermediate lobe 

 much larger, purple, ovate-oblong, with three crested, 

 longitudinal, dark purple ridges. Spur short, obtuse. — 

 W. B. H. 



Fig-. 1, labellum and column; 2, anther-case; 3 and 4, pollinia:— all 

 enlarged. 



