286 cxxxiii. ORCHiDEiE (brown). [Discc. 



19. Di aperta, iV^. E. Brown. Plant 15-18 in. high, glabrous. 

 Stem with 4-G oblong, acute, coriaceous leaves about as long as the 

 internodes, erect and more or less embracing the stem, I5-2J in. long, 

 including the sheathing portion, 2|— 6 lin. broad. Spikes 7-9 in. long, 

 1 J in. diameter, lax, elongating. Bracts 4-7 lin. long, 2-3 lin. broad, ovate 

 or ovate-lanceolate, acuminate. Dorsal sepal reflexed at a right angle to 

 the ovary, 4 lin. long, 2 lin. broad, galeate, rather abruptly contracted at 

 the middle of the back into a straight, compressed, very obtuse spur l-i- 2 

 lin. long, j-1 lin. broad. Lateral sepals directed forwards at nearly a 

 right angle to the ovary, 4^-5 lin. long, 2J-3 lin. broad, obliquely 

 elliptic-oblong, obtuse with a compressed dorsal mucro at the apex. 

 Petals 3 lin. long ; basal half § lin. broad, narrow oblong ; apical half 

 1-lJ lin. broad, ovately semisagittate, acute. Lip directed in a line 

 with the ovary, 3-3J lin. long with a linear claw | lin. long, and an 

 oblong, obtuse blade, 2-2 J lin. long, 1 lin. broad, cuneate at the base, 

 longitudinally folded down the middle. Anther horizontal, | lin. long. 

 Rostellum short, acutely bifid, very slightly folded between the anther- 

 cells. 



Mozaznl). Blst. British Central Africa: Fwambo, S. of Lake Tanganyika, 

 Carson, 51 ! 



20. D. hamatopetala, Rendle in Trans. Limi. Soc. ser. 2, iv. 47, 

 2)1. 7, figs. 4-G. Plant 6-18 in. high, glabrous. Leaves linear-filiform, 

 often withered or burnt off at the time of flowering, leaving a tuft 

 of their remains at the base of the stem. Flowering stem slender, 

 with 6-12 membranous, distant, acuminate sheaths, lower about an 

 inch long, upper smaller. E-aceme laxly 1-7-flowered. Bracts short ei* 

 than the ovaries, 3-6 lin. long, IJ-SJ lin. broad, ovate, acute, 

 terminated by a fine awn-like point. Flowers rather large, blue. 

 Dorsal sepal erect, 7-9 lin. long, 4-5 lin. broad, helmet-shaped, with a 

 stout, ascending, obtuse spur, 2|^ lin. long, 1-1 J lin. thick. Lateral 

 sepals spreading and deflexed, 6-9 lin. long, 2J-4 lin. broad, oblong, 

 obtuse, concave. Petals 4-5 lin. high, strongly curved forwards; base 

 with a broad semicordate auricle, lJ-2 lin. long, lJ-1 J lin. broad ; 

 middle part linear, J— | lin. broad ; apical part dilated to 1 J-2 lin. 

 broad, somewhat hatchet-shaped, bifid or trifid, the two principal teeth 

 being f-l|^ lin. long, the third, when present, much shorter. Lip 6-9 

 lin. long, 3-4 lin. broad, oblong in outline ; margins deeply cut into a 

 fringe of simple linear-clavate or filiform-clavate processes. Anther 

 horizontal, 1 J-1 J lin. long, oblong. Rostellum trifid ; middle lobe 

 slightly folded between the anther-cells and emarginate at the apex. 



Mozamb. Dlst. German East Africa : Higher plateau, N. of Lake Nvasa, 

 Thomson ! British Central Africa : Nyasaland ; between Lake Tanganyika and Lake 

 Nyasa, Johnston ! between Kondowe and Karonga, 2000-6000 ft., Whyte, 345 ! 

 Mt. Malosa, 4000-6000 ft., Whyte ! Zomba, 6000-7000 ft., Kirk ! Whyte ! Mlanji, 

 6000 ft., Whyte, 36! 136 ! and 199 ! Mlanji Plateau, Johnston! Litshengu Plateau. 

 6800 ft., McClounie, 10! and without precise locality, Buchanan, 1016 ! 



There are also specimens at Kew, collected by Thomson, on the higher platen ii 

 N. of Lake Nyasa, which I cannot distinguish structurally from D. hamatopetaht, 

 but they have very much smaller flowers, the dorsal sepals being 3^ lin. long, 2 lin.. 



