“Tap. 8772. 
POLYSTACHYA PosBEGuInuil. 
Tropical Africa. 
ORCHIDACEAE, ‘Tribe VANDEAE. 
Potysracuya, Hook. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 540. 
Polystachya Pobeguinii, Rolfe in Orch, Rev. 1918, p. 106; species 
P. elasticae, Lindl., affinis, floribus paullo minoribus, sepalis lateralibus 
haud apiculatis, labelloque breviore differt. 
Herba epiphytica, caespitosa. Caules teretes, stricti, 10-15 cm. longi, basi in 
pseudobulbum ovoideo-globosum inerassati, vaginis brevibus obtecti, pauci- 
folii. Folia 3-7, disticha, patentia vel suberecta, lanceolata, subacuta, 
glabra, 2-10 cm. longa, 0°7-1 cm. lata. Scapi erecti, circiter 20 cm. longi, 
basi vaginis brevibus obtecti; racemi multiflori, rhachis sparse puberula ; 
bracteae patentes, ovatae, acutae, glabrae, concavae, margine minute denti- 
culatae ; pedicelli circiter 1 cm. longi. Flores mediocres, rosel, labelli 
crista flava. Sepalum posticum inferum, ovatum, concavum, apiculatum, 
0°5 em. longum; sepala lateralia oblique et late triangulari-ovata, obtusa, 
0°6 cm. longa, 0°8 em. lata. Petala obovato-oblonga, obtusa, 0°5 cm. - 
longa. Labellum cum columnae pede articulatum et abrupte refractum, 
unguiculatum, elongatum et pandurato-trilobum, 0°8 cm. longum, basi 
carina quadrata elevata instructum, medio arcte recurvum ; lobi laterales 
breviter rotundati; lobus intermedius spathulato-orbicularis, obtusus, 
margine recurvus, medio concavus; isthmus crista pulvinata pubescente 
instructus. Colwmna lata, 2 mm. longa, exalata ; pollinia 4, sphaerica ; 
stipes cylindricus, gracilis ; glandula squamiformis.—E piphora Pobeguinn, 
Finet in Lecomte Notul. Syst. vol. ii. p. 29, fig. 2, 1-12.—R. A. Roure. 
The Polystachya here figured is an unusually showy 
member of its large and somewhat polymorphic genus. 
Within that genus it belongs to a small group. of species 
the original representative of which is P. elastica, Lindl, 
but which is now known to include, in addition to 
P. Pobeguinii described above, two other forms from 
tropical Africa, P. liberica, Rolfe, and P. Smytheana, 
Rolfe. The species which forms the subject of our plate 
was discovered by Mr. Pobéguin in the peninsula of 
Ninkan and again at Labé in French Guinea, and was 
described from this material as Epiphora Pobeguinn by 
Mr. Finet, who took the opportunity thus offered of 
suggesting the restoration of the genus Epiphora based 
JuLy-SerremBeER, 1918. 
