This interesting species is clearly closely related to the 
more southern A. pilosa Schltr. which occurs in North- 
ern Rhodesia, the Katanga Province of the Belgian 
Congo and the southernmost part of Tanganyika Terri- 
tory. It is, however, a taller plant with larger differently 
shaped leaves, while there are a number of less obvious 
differences which are mentioned in the diagnosis. The 
nearest relative in West Africa is H. Lecardi Kraenzl., 
but this has a very much longer spur. The present spe- 
cies was described from dried and spirit specimens. 
Vanilla polylepis Suwmmerhayes sp. nov. a V. im- 
periah Kraenzl. foliis minoribus, bracteis vix 1 em. lon- 
gis, floribus minoribus, labelli disco squamis + retrorsis 
fimbriatis instructo satis distinguenda. 
Herba alte scandens vel repens, succulenta, foliosa, 
glaberrima; caules flexuosi, carnosi, usque ad 6 m. longi 
vel ultra, usque ad 2 cm. diametro, ramosi, laxe foliati, 
+ longitudinaliter plurisulcati, e nodis radicantes. Folia 
oblanceolata, elliptico-lanceolata vel oblongo-lanceolata, 
rarius elliptica vel oblongo-elliptica, saepius + curvata, 
basi + rotundata, conduplicata et breviter petiolata vel 
subsessilia, apice acutata vel leviter acuminata, 6-21 cm. 
longa, 2.5-8 cm. lata; petiolus usque ad 5 mm. longus. 
Inflorescentiae simpliciter racemosae, ramos laterales 
terminantes, usque ad 7 cm. longae, dense usque ad 25- 
30-florae ; rhachis carnosa, circiter 1 em. diametro; brac- 
teae ovato-triangulares, acutae, subpatentes, 6-7 mm. 
longae. Flores pallide virides vel viridi-albi; pedicelli 
cum ovariis 4-6 cm. longi. Sepalwm intermedium oblan- 
ceolatum, acutum, 8.5-5.25 cm. longum, 8.5-9.5 mm. 
latum, 9-11l-nervium; sepala lateralia leviter oblique 
oblanceolata, intermedio aequilonga, 9-12.5 mm. lata, 
10-12-nervia; omnia sepala nervis Juxta apicem conver- 
gentibus. Petala leviter oblique oblanceolata, acuta, 
{ 219 ] 
