saprophytic orchid (Didymoplevis pallens), which in the 
flowering-stage is only about six inches high, but as the 
capsules ripen the pedicels elongate until they are often as 
long or longer than the whole plant was when in flower. 
In this case it would probably facilitate the dispersal of 
the seed.* 
The third species of Oldenburgia, O. Papionum, DC., 
is figured in Hooker’s “ Icones Plantarum,” t. 1723. 
The plant figured here was raised from seed collected 
and brought home from South Africa, in 1887, by Mr. W. 
Watson, the Curator of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 
when he returned happily restored to health, which was 
the main object of his visit. As may be imagined, it has 
ever since been one of his pets, and it was a great 
les when the first flowers appeared in September 
ast. 
O. Arbuscula inhabits the mountains of Uitenhage and 
Albany, and it is a specially striking feature in the vegeta- 
tion of the mountain sides and tops near Grahamstown, 
where it ascends to an altitude of 2,000 feet. 
_ Harvey and Sonder, in their work cited above, describe 
O. Arbuscula as a shrub or small tree, twelve to fifteen 
feet high, with a trunk one foot and a half in circum- 
ference, but all the collectors’ notes that we have seen give 
no dimensions to equal these. Burchell, who was a most 
careful observer, describes it as “ arbor nana, 2—4-pedalis, 
truncus 2-6 pollices crassus;” therefore it should pro- 
bably have been two to five feet, though Mr. Watson has 
pee impression that it sometimes attains a height of six 
eet. 
The Kew plant is still unbranched, and it has taken six- 
teen years to reach a height of about three feet. We have 
found no previous record of the species having flowered in 
Kurope. But it was in cultivation at Kew as long ago as 
1873—how much longer is uncertain, because we have 
not been able to trace the history of any previous 
introduction, 
It is not probable that Oldenburgia Arbuscula will ever 
become familiar in our gardens; but it is a remarkable 
i Si Journal of the Linnwan Society, “ Botany,” vol. xx. (1883), p. 308, 
t. 28. 
