Darwin’s account of the organization of the Cape plant 
Bonatea speciosa,* which has a similar process in the same 
position at the mouth of the spur, to. examine living 
specimens of that plant. By a curious coincidence Bonatea 
has the cleft petals of “‘ Ate,” and is otherwise so near to 
Habenaria that Lindley referred the Indian Habenaria tri- 
nervia, Wight, to Bonatea,as B. punduana; and subsequently 
both he and Reichenbach have reduced all the Bonatex to 
that genus. Mr. Bolus in his Orchids of S. Africa (Tab. 
16) also reduces a species of Bonatea to Habenaria. The 
principal character of the former genus as distinguishing 
it from the Ate group, is the enormous helmet-like rostellum, 
the staminodes reduced to papilla on the sides of the ros- 
tellum, and the long tubular stigmatic processes ; but how 
far these characters differentiate Bonatea from other 
_ Habenarias I am unable to say. The fact is that the 
modifications of staminodes, anthers, rostellum and stig- 
matic processes of Habenaria are so extraordinarily great, 
even in apparently allied species, that when working up the 
Indian species I hoped to have been able to use them for 
sectional purposes; but, like Bentham before me, I failed 
in the attempt. ° : 
H, Elwesti is most nearly allied to H. digitata, Lindl., 
(H. trinervia, Wight Icon. Plant. Ind. Or.t. 1701), differing 
in the much larger flowers, hairy petals with much longer — 
divisions, long lobes of the lip, and spur-like stigmatic — 2 
processes. The only other species with hairy petals is H. 
barbata, Wight (Ate virens, Lindl.; Wight Ic. t. 928), 
which has small flowers with shortly bifid petals, a scabrid 
lip cleft at tip only’ into short subulate segments, and 
clavate stigmatic processes. H. Hlwesii is a native of 
Nilghiri Hills, whence it was sent to the distinguished 
naturalist and horticulturist whose name it bears by Mr. 
Proudlock, Curator of the Gardens and Parks of Ootaca- 
mund. It flowered in Mr. Elwes’ garden at Colesborne, 
Gloucestershire, in July of last year.—J. D. H. 
Fig. 1, Petal; 2, front and 3 side views of column; 4, pollinia:—A JZ 
enlarged. 
* On the Contrivances by which Orchids are fertilized by Insects, Ed. ii. 
pp. 87, &e. 
