193 



MR. SCOTT ELLIOT'S TROPICAL AFRICAN ORCHIDS. 



By a. B. Rkndle, M.A., F.L.S. 



(Continued from p. 173.) 



Lissochilus mediocris, sp. nov. Bracteis caulinis arete vagi- 

 nantibus acutis quam internodi multo brevioribus, racemi laxiflori 

 subulatis pedicellos cum ovaviis i^quautibus ; floribus mediocribus, 

 sepalis 7-nerviis, dorsali ligulato-cuneato valde apiculato, lateralibus 

 minus cuneatis ; petalis oblongis basin prope angustatis obtusis, 

 labelli magni pandurati auriculis rotundatis, lobo medio patente 

 orbiculari cristis geminis super basin saccatam instructo ; autbera 

 rotundata valde apicnlata. 



Hab. Samia Kavirondo, 4000 ft. Eastern side of Victoria 

 Nyanza, Jan. (dry interval between rains), 1894, No. 7128. 



Tbe flowering-stems are 2|^ ft. or more in lengtb ; tbe mem- 

 branous sbeathing bracts bave united edges below, witb an abruptly 

 acute apex ; tbe lower ones are 3-2 in. long ; flowering bracts 

 7-5 lines long. Tbe sepals are about 11 lines long, 8i broad ; tbe 

 petals 10 by 4^-5 lines. The wings of tbe large lip are 3^ lines 

 broad ; tbe central lobe is 9-10 lines long by 8-9 broad ; the two 

 large rounded entire crests at its base are 1 line apart, witb a slight 

 median ridge ; on the disc they rapidly pass into slightly raised 

 quickly diminishing spreading veins ; the saccate base is scarcely 

 spurred. The rather thick column is 4 lines long by If broad. 

 The subglobose pollinia are fixed by a short band to tbe long bowed 

 filiform gland. 



This and the three following species belong to the L. pitrpuratus 

 group of Reiehenbach fil. in Oda Hot. Hanih. 114. L. mediocris 

 approaches tbe Zambesi plant L. Livinfjstonianus and (e descript.) 

 the Angolan L. Mdlanijensis. It differs, however, in the abrupt 

 character of the lip-crests, and the very slight indication of keels. 

 The flowers are also much larger than in the Zambesi species (no 

 measurements are given for L. Malan(jensis). 



Lissochilus afRnis, sp. nov. Bracteis caulinis vaginantibus 

 sfepe obtusis, racemi pauciflori subulatis quam pedicelli cum 

 ovariis dimidio brevioribus ; floribus mediocribus, sepalis 7-nerviis 

 suboblongis apiculatis, petalis tequilongis ovati-ovahbus, labelli 

 pandurati auriculis rotundatis, lobo medio late oblongo basi cum 

 cristis geminis, mediana minus elevata interjecta, antice in venis 

 elevatis flexuosis solutis ; anthera obtuse apiculata. 



Hab. Urundi, Lake Tanganyika, 4-5000 ft., No. 8173, Sept. 

 (end of dry season), 1894. 



The slender flowering-stem is 14-2 ft. long ; the few sheathing 

 bracts are rather short (2 in. or less), and have their edges united 

 for two-thirds their lengtb, The subulate floral bracts only reach 

 ^ in. ; tbe stalk, with ovary, 1 in. The sepals are 9 lines long; 

 the dorsal, oblong above, tapering below, is 3 lines broad, the 

 narrowly oblong lateral ones 3^ lines. The lip is 10 lines long, 

 and 8 lines across the auricled base ; the auricles are about 4^ lines 



«[ouRNAL OF Botany. — Voi^. 33. [July, 1895.] o 



