Tas. 7295. 
SATYRIUM SPHAROCARPUM. 
Native of South Africa 
Nat. Ord. Oncu1pE#.—Tribe OpurRyYDEX. 
Genus Satyrium, Sw.; (Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Pl. vol. iii. p. 629). 
Satyrium spherocarpum; foliis ovato-oblongis acutis sensim in vaginis 
caulis (inferioribus foliaceis) mutatis, spica multiflora, bracteis herbaceis 
ovato-oblongis acutis flores zquantibus v. superantibus patulis demum 
deflexis, sepalis labello longe adnatis lateralibus lineari-oblongis intermedio 
lineari, petalis linearibus, labello galeato apice obtuso recurvo dorso 
medio alte carinato, calcaribus gracilibus ovario paullo longioribus, 
columna gracili, stigmate integro. 
S. sphzerocephalum, Lindl. Gen. & Sp. Orchid. 337. 
The handsome terrestrial Orchids of South Africa have 
of late attracted the attention of horticulturists, and 
singularly enough they seem to be more amenable to 
cultivation than their terrestrial European allies. They 
are very numerous in species, especially the Disas and 
Satyriums, abounding in curious forms, and often present- 
ing brilliant flowers. Of Satyriwm, Mr. Bolus says, in his 
valuable “ Orchids of the Cape Peninsula,” about fifty- 
Seven species are admitted, almost exclusively African, 
twenty being southern, ten tropical, and six insular, from 
the Mascarene Islands. Only one is Asiatic, the 8S. 
nepalense, figured at Tab. 6625 of this work, and which is 
one of the commonest hill plants of India, from the 
Himalaya to Ceylon. 
S. spherocarpum has a very wide range in South Africa, 
from the tropical climate of Delagoa Bay, in 26 58. 
(where it was discovered by Forbes, a collector for the 
Royal Horticultural Society, in 1823), to the temperate one 
of Grahamstown in 33° S. It is abundantly represented in 
the Kew Herbarium from the intermediate regions and 
especially from Natal. Its nearest ally is S. militare, — 
May Ist, 1893, 
