An erect stout glabrous herb, 10-40 cm. high ; stem straight 

 leafy ; leaves erect-spreading ensiform, acute or acuminate, 

 sheathing at base, often undulate on the margin, gradually 

 passing off into the bracts, up to 20 cm. long ; spike cylindrical or 

 lanceolate, densely many-flowered, 4-16 cm. long ; bracts mem- 

 branous, broadly ovate, acute or acuminate, as long as or a little 

 longer than the ovary ; lateral sepals connate porrect concave 

 ovate-rotundate, somewhat emarginate, 0"5-0"6 cm. long; odd sepal 

 horizontal, incurved at the apex, oblong-lanceolate obtuse, a little 

 longer than the lateral ones; petals horizontal, very concave, oblong, 

 obliquely acute or obtuse, rotundate-sacculate at base, as long as 

 the odd sepal ; limb of the lip porrect-deflexed cuneate bifid, the 

 lobes divaricate, very obtuse, scarcely 0'3 cm. long, the appendix 

 somewhat horizontal, bilobed at the apex, the lobes very obtuse, 

 deeply bifid at the base, the segments linear-lanceolate, produced 

 into the sacs of the petals, 0*4 cm. long ; arms of the rostellum 

 ascending ; anther erect ; stigma horseshoe-shaped. 



Described from several dried and living specimens. The 

 drawing was made from a specimen collected on the Cape 

 Peninsula. 



