Dim.] cxxxiii. ORCHiDEiE (brown). 287 



broad; the lateral sepals 3^ lin. long, 1|^ lin. broad ; the petals If lin. high ; and the 

 lip 5 lin. long. They are probably starved specimens or seedlings flowering for the 

 first time. 



45. BKOWNLEEA, Harv. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. iii. 631 

 (by N. E. Brown). 



Lateral sepals free, dorsal adhering to the petals into a helmet- 

 or extinguisher-shaped galea, produced behind into one spur. Petals 

 erect, adhering to the inner sides of the mouth of the dorsal sepal, 

 and adnate to the column at the base. Lip minute, entire. Column 

 short. Anther horizontal, more or less incurved, with two parallel 

 cells, produced in front into channels, which continue up the back of 

 the rostellum ; pollinia soHtary in each cell, granular, each mass 

 attached by a caudicle to a distinct gland. Rostellum erect; more or. 

 less distinctly 2-lobed, lobes notched at the apex, tuberculate on the 

 sides at the base. Stigma seated at base of the rostellum, vertical 

 or oblique, cushion-like. Capsule cylindric, erect. — Terrestrial herbs 

 with simple sessile tubers. Stem rather slender, with 2-4 distant leaves. 

 Flowers small or of moderate size, in lax or dense spikes, sometimes 

 secund, rarely solitary. 



Species about 10, chiefly South African, one in Madagascar. 



This genus only differs from Disa in having the petals adherent to the dorsal 

 sepal, forming a hood, as in the Coryciece. This character was overlooked in the key 

 to the subtribe, p. 14. 



Lip linear . . . . . . . - . 1. ^. alpina. 



Lip broadly oblong . . . . . . . 2. JB. apetala. 



1. B. alpina, N. E. Brown. Plant 8-24 in. high, quite glabrous. 

 Leaves two or three and a basal sheath, distant, erect, the lower one 

 3-9 in. long, 3-7 lin. broad, broadly linear, or linear-lanceolate, taper- 

 ing to an acute point, the upper much smaller, sometimes bract-like. 

 Spike lJ-3 in. long, dense, with erect flowers. Bracts equalling or 

 shorter than flowers, J-J in. long, f-lj lin. broad at base, lanceo- 

 late, attenuate to an acute point. Dorsal sepal IJ lin. long, J lin. 

 broad, boat-shaped, arching forwards, and forming a hood with petals ; 

 spur IJ-lJ lin. long, cylindrical, obtuse, abruptly curved downwards 

 at its middle. Lateral sepals 1\ lin. long, J lin. broad, subfalcate- 

 oblong, subacute, margins incurved in the apical part. Petals about 

 1 lin. long and J lin. broad, elliptic, obtuse, entire, erect, upper 

 margin involute, and slightly adhering to dorsal sepal. Lip minute, 

 \-\ lin. long, linear obtuse. Anther horizontal. Rostellum erect, 

 short and broad, ghortly bifid or emarginate, with a globose tubercle on 

 each side at its base. — Disa alpina. Hook. f. in Journ. Linn. Soc. vii. 

 220. Engler, Hochgeb. Fl. Trop. Afr. 186. D. Preus^i, Kranzl. in 

 Engl. Jahrb. xvii. 64. 



Upper Guinea. Cameroons, 6000-8000 ft., Mann, 2120! Johnston, 86! 

 Preuss, 973 ! 



2. B. apetala, N. E. Brown. Stem and leaves not described. 

 Flowers very minute, flesh-coloured. Dorsal sepal galeate, ovate, 



