TAB. 33. 



Tribe Vaxde.k. 

 Sub-tribe CymbidiE/E. 

 Genus Polystachya. 



Polystachya similis, Rcichenbach Jil. , in Otia Bo/. HuDib. 

 (lHHl),y!). 112. — Herba erecta terrestris, (an semper?) g-labra prieter 

 rhachillas puberulas ramulorum lateralium, 15-50 cm. alta ; caulis 

 anceps validus, basi vag-inis foliorum delapsorum vestitus ; folia 

 3-5 erecto-patentia oblong'a obtusa, minute biloba, sub-coriacea mul- 

 tinervia, basi vaginantia articulataque, 8-20 cm. longa ; peduiiculus 

 vaginis membranaceis vestitus ; panicula interrupta internodiis 

 3-6 cm. loni^is, e racemulis alternis adscendentibus vel erectis 

 brevibus 5-lOtloris ; bracteae ovatae cuspidatie parva; ; sepala sub- 

 patentia lateralibus subtriany^ularibus acutis vel obtusis, columnaj 

 pedi adnatis 0*5 cm. longis, impari ovato, 0*4 cm. lons^o ; petala 

 porrecto-incurva oblanceolata, obtusa, O'l cm. long-a ; labellum 

 circuitu obovatum, sepalis lateralibus iuquiloiii^um 31obum, lobis 

 lateralibus subfalcatis acutis, intermedio paullo lonj^iore, sub- 

 orbiculari, apice leviter recurvo, lamella unica cristato ; columna 

 brevis basi in pedem porrectum producta. {Ex excmplaribits 

 pluribus vivis exsiccatisque.) 



Hab : South-eastern Region ; Cape Colony : on the moun- 

 tain on the west side of the mouth of St. John's River, alt. circ. 

 300 met., fl. Feb., I/. G. Flanagan, 2551! in my herb. — Natal: 

 Tong-aat, fl. Jan. -Feb., Mrs. K. Saujiders, 6117 ! in my herb. ; Riet 

 Valley, Mrs. Rathbone! in herb., Kew. 



Plate 33. Fig. 1, flower, front view ; 2, ditto, side view ; 

 3, one of the side sepals ; 4, odd sepal ; Tt, one of the petals ; 

 6, lip, flattened out ; 7, lip and column, side view, shewing the 

 line of attachment of the near side sepal; 8, pollinarium ; 0, section 

 of stem — all variously enlarged. 



An erect terrestrial (as far as the specimens under examination 

 ^o) herb, glabrous, except for the pubescent rhachillai, 15-50 cm. 

 high ; stem ancipital stout, at the base clothed with the sheaths of 

 fallen leaves ; leaves 3-5, erect-spreading oblong obtuse, minutely 

 bilobed, subcoriaceous many-nerved, sheathing and articulate at 

 base, 8-20 cm. long- ; peduncle clothed with membranous sheaths ; 



