spreading at a right angle into two parts, the whole being some- 

 what fiddle- shaped, the front part wider oblong, covered in the 

 middle with several rows of purple papillae, the apex hooked or 

 upturned in a sharp knee-bent angle and very acute, the 

 posterior part (answering to the handle of the fiddle) linear with 

 involute margins, the whole appendage about 1 cm. long; arms 

 of the rostellum horizontal projecting linear straight divaricate- 

 spreading, spoon- shaped at the apex ; anther and rostellum very 

 short. 



Described and drawn from a living plant sent by Mr. Sim from 

 the Dohne Mt., March 16, 1893, and from several dried specimens. 

 Colour of the sepals purple, spurs of the side sepals green ; petals 

 greenish-yellow with dark green veins and spots ; lip green, with 

 purple centre and crest of darker purple papillae. It is impossible 

 to know certainly whether this is Reichenbach's plant. The 

 description of a species of so complicated a structure by the use 

 of few words is difficult, if not impossible ; and that by the 

 author of this plant is far too brief. In such a case the student 

 ordinarily refers to the t^'pe specimen; but this is effectually 

 precluded by the terms of Reichenbach's will, by which his whole 

 collection remains sealed at Vienna for twenty-five years from 

 the date of his death. It is a question whether the botanical 

 world generally would not have promoted the true interests of 

 the science and discouraged similar unworthy vagaries for the 

 future, by agreeing at the recent Genoa Congress that the usual 

 rule of priority of nomenclature should not hold good in any case 

 where the only type specimen existed in Reichenbach's herbarium, 

 and where no other specimen named by him was available for 

 reference elsewhere. At present it can only be said that this is 

 probably Reichenbach's plant. The species has a near ally in 

 D. Coopcri, Harvey (Thcs. Cap. t. 172). The general type of the 

 lip is the same, the shape of the front part, however, being rather 

 oblong than heart-shaped ; but the greatest difference is in the 

 arms of the rostellum, which are here straight, but in that 

 species are sharply knee-bent, a difference which I believe to be 

 of great specific value. I may also mention here that I have 

 dissected a flower of Cooper's No. 1100, the type of D. Cooperi, 

 Harvey, that I found Harvey's figure above quoted substantially 

 correct, as far as it goes, and quite undeserving of the sneer with 

 which it was treated by Reichenbach in Otia Bot. Haiiih., p. 103. 



