bus parallelis vel antice convergentibus, versus margines 
subpatentes, parte libera triangulari acuta circiter 1 mm. 
longa, antice in intermedium breviter decurrentes lamel- 
las altas formantes; discus anguste canaliculatus, callo 
proprio nullo; labellum pallide flavido-viride. Columna 
semi-teres, 1.5 mm. alta, ut anthera purpureo-brunnea; 
anthera hemisphaerica; pollinii stipes linearis, 1 mm. 
longus, viscidium fere orbiculare, 0.2 mm. diametro; 
fovea stigmatica transverse elliptica. 
Nortruern RuopestA: Mwinilunga District, Matonchi Farm, on 
Brachystegia trees, Jan., 1988, Milne-Redhead 4369; also in evergreen 
vegetation, R. Luao. 
The above very striking little species was described 
from dried specimens and numerous entire specimens in 
liquid preservative. It is one of the smallest species of 
the genus as the whole plant is only about 8 em. high, 
while the flowers are smaller than usual in sect. Humiles. 
The structure of the lip is very difficult to describe. As 
is common in many Polystachyas the lip is recurved into 
a semicircle and cannot be flattened out. The lateral lobes 
have more or less parallel bases and lean outwards to- 
wards their margins at an angle of about 45° forming a 
V-shaped trough. In front they terminate suddenly with 
acute slightly connivent apices but instead of forming a 
simple sinus with the front lobe the inner anticous por- 
tions are decurrent for a short distance onto the extremely 
broad front lobe forming apparent high lamellae some- 
what similar to those in Diplacorchis. 
Polystachya (Ss. Affines) praecipitis Swmmerhayes 
sp. nov.; inter species sectionis sepalis lateralibus valde 
obliquis, mento angusto cylindrico, labello longiuscule 
unguiculato distinguenda. 
Herba epiphytica, parva, usque ad 8 cm. alta; pseu- 
dobulbi contigui, basi angustati, superne ovoidei vel el- 
[ 286 | 
