MR. SCOTT Elliot's tropical African orchids. 195 



Hab. Urundi, Tanganyika, 4-5000 ft., Sept. (end of dry 

 season), 1894, No, 8173 pars. 



A pretty little plant; the thin flowering-stem about 15 in. 

 high, bearing at the lower nodes short membranous tubular bracts 

 with an abruptly acute free upper part. The raceme is about 3 in. 

 long, of 6-7 spreading flowers ; bracts about ^ in. ; the slender 

 stalks, with ovary, nearly 1 in. The lateral sepals are 5| lines 

 long by 2^ broad ; the dorsal is the same length, but slightly 

 narrower (2 lines) ; the obtuse petals are 5 by 3^ lines. The lip is 

 7 lines long, and 5 lines across at the base ; the central lobe has a 

 crisped margin, and is nearly 5 lines long by 4|- broad. Of the 

 3 main keels, the median runs straight down the middle of the 

 convex disc; the two lateral send smaller diverging branches 

 towards the sides. The conical spur is 2 lines long. The column 

 is 3-| lines. Colour unknown. 



A specimen from the Shire Highlands (Mandala, Dec. (lesser 

 rains), 1894, No. 8499) must be included in this species. It is a 

 smaller plant, with the thin flowering-stem only 10-15 in. long. 

 The 5-nerved sepals are longer and proportionately narrower than 

 in the Urundi specimen (the dorsal G by If lines, the lateral 6 by 

 scarcely 2) ; the petals are very slightly larger. 



A member of the L. purpiiratKn section near L. Living stonianus 

 Keichb. f. (Zambesi), but a smaller plant, with bracts only one- 

 third the length of the flower-stalks (not subequal) ; the lip 

 moreover has a very rounded (not acute) tip. 



Var. angusta. Perianthii segmentis angustioribus, sepalis 

 3-nerviis valde apiculatis, petalis srepius ovali oblongis. 



Hab. Dry grassy hills, east side of Albert Edward Nyanza, 

 Aug. (height of dry season), 1894, No. 8075. Karagwe, W. of 

 Victoria Nyanza, 4-5000 ft., Sept. (first showers of rainy season), 

 1894, No. 8209. 



The two gatherings on which the variety is founded are within 

 100 miles of each other, and considerably further north than those 

 of the type. The sepals (very rarely 5-nerved) are 5-6 lines long 

 and 1^ broad ; the petals show a tendency towards an oval shape, 

 and measure 5 lines by 2| ; the lip is also slightly narrower 

 (6 lines by 5). 



Lissochilus brevisepalus, sp. nov. Planta bipedalis, bracteis 

 caulinis brevibus, florentibus ovatis vel lanceolatis acutis quam 

 ovaria pedicellata multo brevioribus; floribus inter minores, sepalis 

 5-nerviis oblongo-ligulatis acutiusculis, petalis orbicularibus, labello 

 basi saccato, alls erectis oblongis, lobo medio orbiculari emarginato, 

 disco cristis 8 crassis instructo ; columna brevi crassa ; polliniis 

 subglobosis. 



Hab. Shire Highlands, Dec. (lesser rains), 1894, Sotchi, No. 

 8526, and Ndurani, No. 8511. 



The leafless flowering- stem is about 26 in. long, sheathed at the 

 base by tubular truncate bracts less than an inch long, and bearing 

 similar ones with a subacute tip at the lower nodes. The raceme 

 is about 6 in. long, and bears about a dozen flowers. The floral 



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