Tas. 7946. 
MEGACLINIUM PLATYRHACHIS, 
Native of British Central Africa. 
Nat. Ord. Orncurpacea.—Tribe EprpenpRE”. 
Genus Meeacuinium, Lindl. ; (Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 508.) 
Meeac.inium platyrhachis; inter species hucusque cognitis rhachis amplitu- 
dine insignis; rhizomate crasso lignoso, pseudobulbis sparsis oblongo- 
ovoideis acute 5-vel 6-angulatis 2-3 poll. longis bifoliatis, basi squamis 
paucis dimidio brevioribus instructis, foliis crassis oblongis obtusis 5-6 
poll. longis eveniis, scapis basilaribus solitariis, pedunculo tereti 
circiter semi-pedali erecto bracteis vel squamis paucis ocreiformibus 
oblique truncatis ornato, rhachi luteo-viridi albo-brunneo-punctulata 
valde complanata loriformi (medio incrassata utrinque alata) undulata 
crenulata utrinque secus medium florifera per anthesin gradatim evo- 
luta perfecta circiter 1 ped. longa et medio 1% poll. lata plus minnsve 
tortili apice acuminata basi attenuata, bracteis triangularibus acutis 
circiter 3 lin. longis et inter se 4 lin. distantibus primum supra flores 
arcte appressis deinde arcte retrofiexis, floribus in rhache utrinque 
uniseriatis numerosis luteo-viridibus punctis brnnneo-purpureis conspersis 
circiter 6 lin. diametro in bractearum axillis solitariis subsessilibus 
a basi versus apicem ordinatim evolutis retroflexis ad rhachem respicien- 
tibus, sepalis ovato-lanceolatis acutis dorsali longiore, petalis sepalis 
similibus sed minoribus, labello cum pede column articulato crasso 
carnoso linguiformi recurvo margine infra medium minute papilloso- 
fimbrillato lobis lateralibus parvis, columna brevi basi lata biauriculata. 
M. platyrhachis, Rolfe in Fl. Trop. Afr. vol. vii. p. 43; Orch. Rev. vol. xi. 
(1903), p. 284. 
Lindley founded the genus Megaclinium on M. falcatum 
in 1826 (Bot. Reg. t. 989). This was sent from Sierra 
Leone to the Horticultural Society of London by George 
Don, in 1822, and it was some years before a second 
species became known. Now already twenty-five species 
are on record from tropical Africa, two or three from 
extratropical 8. Africa, and one has been reported from 
Madagascar. In floral structure Megaclinium offers no 
constant difference from Bulbophyllum, but the dorsal 
sepal is usually longer than the lateral ones, and the 
genus is always easily recognized by the flattened axis of 
the inflorescence, which suggested the generic name. It 
is a remarkable fact that the flowers face the rhachis, in 
other words, open towards it in a downward direction. 
The other species figured in the Magazine are M. mazi- 
mum, Lindl., in part (t. 4028) = M. Lindleyi, Rolfe; 
Marcu Ist, 1904. 
