together with Perrottetianwn, albiflorum, and Wightianum, 
but says that they grow intermixed and present no constant 
characters. Lindley in his Contributions to the Orchidology 
of India (Journ. Linn. Soc.) unites Perrottetianum, albi- 
florum, and pallidum with nepalense ; and keeps Wightianum 
and ciliatum distinct, relying on the dwarf habit and blunt 
dense spike of the former, and the stout spurs of the latter. 
S. nepalense is hardly an ornamental, though highly 
curious and very sweet-scented plant, differing from 
European genera in the twin spurs descending from the 
lip and lying on the ovary. It is the only Indian species 
of the genus, which is otherwise African, extending from 
Abyssinia to the Cape. The scent of the flower is much 
like that of the common Gymnadenia conopsea. The Royal 
Gardens are indebted to Mr. Elwes for tubers, which he 
sent from Sikkim, in 1881, to Kew. It flowered in both 
his garden and that of Kew at the same time, namely, in 
January of the present year. 
Desor. An erect glabrous leafy terrestrial fragrant Orchid, 
very variable in stature, foliage, and number of flowers, 
from six to thirty inches high. Stems from the thickness 
of a crow-quill to that of the finger. Leaves alternate, 
two to eight inches long by one to four inches broad, ovate 
or lanceolate, strongly ribbed, loosely sheathing at the 
base, sheaths ribbed. Spike two to six inches long, dense- 
or lax-flowered ; bracts exceeding the flowers, lanceolate, 
green, the lower often an inch long and reflexed. lowers 
about three-fourths of an inch long. Perianth pale or deep 
rose-pink, Sepals small, dorsal linear-oblong obtuse 
decurved, lateral much larger ovate-oblong obtuse recurved ; 
sepals much smaller than the dorsal sepal oblong obtuse 
recurved. Lip very concave, helmet-shaped with reflected 
crenate border and two spurs that equal the ovary, or are 
longer or shorter than it. Column pedicelled; anther- 
cells dorsal, stigma very broad.—J. D. H. 
Fig. 1, Front and, 2, back view of flower; 3, front and, 4, side view of column ; 
- 5, pollen-masses :—all enlarged. 
