MR. SCOTT Elliot's tropical African orchids. 171 



pedicellos cum ovaiiis vix aequantibus ; floribus inter mediocres, 

 sepalo dorsali subcuneato-oblongo, lateralibus ovalibus iiiterdmn 

 subfalcatis et basi angustatis ; petalis subrhombeis ; labelli alls 

 erectis oblongis, lobe medio rotundato convexo, carina mediana 

 basi bilamellata instructo, calcare brevi obtuse. 



Hab. lluwenzori (eastern side). Common about 6000 ft. in 

 short bush, No. 7871. Kivata, sunny hills, 6-7000 ft.. No. 7735 

 (fruiting specimen). May (greater rains), 1894. 



The long leaves (20-22 in.) become narrowly lanceolate above, 

 with a tapermg apex from a narrow plicate base. The inflorescence 

 reaches 2^ ft., and bears a few (3 in specimen) ascending branches 

 about 9 in. long; shorter simple inflorescences also occur. The 

 flowers are somewhat laxly racemose. The subscarious spreading 

 floral bracts are 6-8 lines long. The flowers closely resemble those 

 of L. strcptopctalus Lindl., but the petals and lip-wings are apparently 

 rosy in colour. The sepals are 5 -nerved, with often a minutely apicu- 

 late, otherwise rounded, apex. The dorsal is 6| Unes long by 8|^ broad, 

 the lateral ones 7 lines by 3|-4. The petals are G lines long, and 

 about as broad. The wmgs of the lip are 2^ lines by 2 ; the pro- 

 jecting central lobe (3| lines each way) has strongly-recurved sides, 

 its fleshy median keel increases in the lower half to a bilamellate 

 crest, which curves over above the mouth of the short thick blunt 

 spur (1 hne long). The column is 2^ lines long by nearly 1 broad, 

 and has no foot. The two pyriform hollow poUiuia (1 line long) 

 are attached each side of the apiculate apex of the ribbon-like stalk 

 (li lines long) of the rostellum. The ovate-oblong fruit is 1\ in. 

 long. 



In floral character is very near the Cape species L. strepto- 

 petalus Lindl., but has shorter more oblong blunt sepals. The 

 shorter, more rigid, acuminate bracts and the large compound 

 inflorescence are also distinguishing features. Is also near the 

 Abyssinian L. (jranUicus Rchb. f., but has the sepals much larger, 

 and the central lobe of the lip a little shorter ; the bracts are also 

 larger. 



Lissochilus shirensis, sp. nov. Caule simplici, racemo laxo 

 (? uniramifero) terminata, bracteis lanceolatis vel ovatis acutis, 

 pedicellos cum ovariis baud jequautibus ; floribus inter mediocres, 

 sepalo dorsali late cuneato, lateralibus spatbulato-cuneatis, petalis 

 subrhombeis quam sepala multo latioribus, labelli alis rotunde 

 oblongis, lobo medio orbicular! convexo carina mediana antice 

 evanescente basi incrassata et bifida instructo, calcare breviter 

 conico. 



Hab. Sotchi, Shire Highlands, 3000-4000 ft., Dec. (lesser 

 rains), 1894, No. 8613. 



The tall flowering stem (4 ft. long) bears in its thicker lower 

 half scarious apparently deciduous bracts, which taper gradually 

 from a sheathing base to an acute apex, and are shorter tban the 

 nodes. The only perfect one present is 3^ in. long. A small 

 branch seems to have been broken off from the lower part of the 

 lax raceme, which is about 18 in. long. The lower bracts are 

 lanceolate, the upper ovate, and all acute, the lowermost are 10 lines 



