HolothHx.'] cxxxiii. ORCHiDE^ (rolfe). 195 



Flowers white, 1^— li in- long. Sepals triangular, acuminate, 1-nerved ; 

 margin ciliate. Petals much longer than the sepals, basal part linear, 

 J in. long ; upper part divided into many filiform segments. Lip a little 

 longer, and twice as broad, in other respects similar to the petals, the 

 entire base and the segments each 7-8 lin. long ; spur short, slightly- 

 recurved, obtuse. Column broad, acute; base with a pair of broad 

 lamellae. 



^o-wer Guinea. Angola : Huilla, Muscha, in dry soil, Newton. 



Only known to me from the original description, but must be nearly allied to the 

 preceding, 



14. H. Lastii, Rolfe. Scapes 9 in. or more long (base not seen), 

 ferruginous, pubescent. Racemes 2 in. long, few- to many- flowered. 

 Bracts ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, 3-4 lin. long. Sepals ovate-lanceo- 

 late, acuminate, 2 lin. long. Petals cuneate-oblong, 7-8 lin. long, the 

 upper half broken up into about 7 long, subfiliform segments. Lip 

 similar, but broader and with more numerous segments. Column short 

 and stout. 



Mozamb. 3>lst. British Central Africa : Nyasaland ; Shire Highlands, near 

 Blantyre, Last ! 



A distinct but imperfectly known species. 



32. DERGSMERIA, Reichb. f. De Poll. Orch. 29. 



Sepals subequal, connivent, herbaceous, usually glabrous. Petals 

 longer than the sepals or subequal, narrow, entire or somewhat divided 

 at the apex. Lip adnate for a long distance to the column, erect, con- 

 cave or involute at the sides, entire or somewhat lobed, produced at the 

 base into a curved spur. Column short, usually auricled at the sides of 

 the stigma ; clinandrium erect, broad, concave, or almost cucullate ; 

 connective of the anther not distinct from the clinandrium ; cells ovoid, 

 adnate, distinct, included; pollinia coarsely -grained, with very short 

 caudicles, terminating in a small naked gland ; stigma sunk within the 

 tube formed by the union of the lip and column. Terrestrial herbs 

 leafl.ess at the flowering time or with a large orbicular radical leaf. 

 Scapes stout, glabrous or hairy, and with numerous lanceolate, acu- 

 minate, often imbricate, sheaths. Flowers small, usually in dense or 

 unilateral spikes. 



A genus of eight species, peculiar to Tropical Africa, with the ^ception of one 

 Arabian representative. Bentbam reduces it to Hahenaria, but it is much nearer to 

 Holothrix, chiefly differing in the very distinct habit, and in the greater union of the 

 auricled lip to the column, the stigma being sunk in the tube thus formed. In several 

 cases radical leaves are not known, presumably because they wither before the flowers 

 appear, as is known to occur in D, Schimperi and D. unifolia. 



Lip entire . . . . . . . . . 1. J>. squamata. 



Lip more or less distinctly trilobed or tridentate. 



Petals spathulate, obtuse or obscurely trilobed . . 2. 2>. montigena. 



Petals ovate, acuminate, sometimes obscurely toothed 



near the apex . . . . . . . 3. 2). acuminata. 



