TAB. 14. 



Tribe Ophryde^. 



Sub-tribe Habenakie-e. 

 Genus Holothris. 



Holothrix exilis, Limlley, Gen. d- Sp. Orch. p. 283 (1837). — var. 

 brachylabris, Sonder, in Linnaa, vol. xix, p. 78 (1847). — Tubera ovata 

 glabra; folia biua glabra, vel parce pilosa, ciliolata, ante authesiu emarcida, 

 iuferum radicale humistratum, ovatuiu vel orbiciilare, caruosum venosum, 

 circa 1 cm. longum, superum caulinum miuimum lauceolatum ; scapus 

 erectus gracillimus, 15-25 cm. longus, iuferue patentim pilosus, sursum 

 glabresceus ; spica multiflora (8-17-11.), plerumque secunda, -4-6 cm. louga ; 

 bracteae ovatae acutas margiue apiceque pilose, ovario breviores vel aequilongfe 

 (Sonder); flores glabri, 4 mill, longi; sepalum impar ovatum, lateralia oblique 

 ovato-lanceolata obtusa ; petala anguste lanceolata obtusa, sepalis duplo 

 longiora ; labeUiuu indivisum lanceolatum, petalis aequilongum, basi ampli- 

 atum concavum, calcare sepalis multo breviori ; autbera oblonga suberecta, 

 loculis parallelis ; caudiciUie iu glandulam unicam linearem trausversam 

 desineutes ; ovarium oblougum ovatumve tortum. [E.v exempli, plur, viv.) 



Hab : South-western Region; Cape Colony: Table Mt., Cape Penin- 

 sula, alt. 700 met., Febr., Fl. Schh-c/iter, 81 ; near Eiversdale, fl. Nov., il>. — 

 South-eastern Region; Cape Colony: Uitenbage, Zeijher ; Coldstream 

 Farm near Grahamstown, alt. 700 met., Febr., J. Glass, (Herb. ^orm. Austr- 

 Ajr., 1370). 



Plate 14, A. Fig. 1, flower, side view ; 2, ditto, front view ; 3, odd sepal ; 

 4, side sepals; 5, petals; 6, lip; 7, ditto, with ovary, side view, — all the 

 foregoing magnified about 5 diameters ; 8, column, with ovary ; 9, pollinarium, 

 — all the latter variously magnified ; 10, lower leaf, natural size. 



Tubers ovate glabrous ; leaves two, glabrous or thinly pilose, ciholate, 

 withered before flowering, the lower radical lying flat on the ground, ovate 

 or orbicular, fleshy veined, about 1 cm. long, the upper caiiline very small 

 lanceolate; scape erect very slender, 15-25 cm. long, patently pilose below, 

 becoming glabrous above; spike many-fl. (8-17-fl.), generally secund or 

 nearly so, 4-6 cm. long; bracts ovate acute erect, pilose on the margin and 

 apex, shorter than or equalling the ovary ; flowers glabrous, 4 mill, long; odd 

 sepal ovate, side sepals obliquely ovate-lanceolate obtuse ; petals narrow 

 lanceolate obtuse, twice as long as the sepals ; lip undivided lanceolate, as 

 long as the petals, widened and concave at the base, spur much shorter than 

 the sepals; anther oblong sub-erect, cells parallel; caudicles of the pollinia 

 terminating in a single gland ; ovary oblong or ovate, twisted. 



Described from numerous living specimens kindly sent by Mr. Glass from 

 near Grahamstown. These were the first I bad seen ; yet by a curious 

 coincidence Mr. K. Schlechter foimd, during the same week a single specimen 

 on Table Mt., near Cape To^vn, where it had never previously been recorded. 

 He also found on the same mountain a single plant of the typical form. 

 The variety here described does not appear to dift'er from the typical form as 

 described by Lindley, (fouudtd on Burclnll's 6738 from the Eiversdale dis- 

 trict, 17th Nov., 1814) excepting in the lip which is entire, while Lindley 

 found it with a basal lobe on either side. But Mr. Schlechter subsequently 

 found also at Eiversdale plants having a lip intermediate in form between 

 the two. Though I have not examined hving specimens of the typical form I 

 can hardly doubt that Bonder's species is a mere variety. I have not seen an 

 authentic specimen of the latter, but our plants agree well with his description. 

 The sepals are green with a pale margin, the petals deep ochraceous yellow. 



