Plate 121. 



LISSOCHILUS HORSFALLII. 



Mr. Horsf all's LissocMlus. 



Gen. Char. Lissochilus, B. Brown in Lindl. Coll. Bot. t. 31. Periaiithum explanntura. 



Sejyala herbacea (rel brunnea), parva, reflexa vel patentia^ libera. Petala maxima, patentia, alaj- 

 formia. Lahellum saccatumj concavum, subintegrum v. trilobum, cum basi columnoe sn?pius con- 

 uatum. Columna erectaj breviSj pemiteres. Anthera bilocularis, cristata. PolUnia 2, postice 

 biloba, caudicula lineari brevi, glanduM triangulari. Lindl. Gen. et Sp. p. 191. 



Horsfall 



() 



breviori- 



acuminatis 



m 



mfundibuliformi obscure trilobo, lobis lateralibus maximis convcxis ascendcntibus rotuTidntis, 

 epichilio ovato obtuso 3-costatOj columna marginat^, antbera bideutata. Bdteman. 



For the opportunity of figuring this fine addition to the rare genus LissocMlus we 

 are indebted to J. B. Horsfall, Esq., M.P., of Bellamour Hall, Staffordshire, to whom 

 it was sent (in 1861) from the Old Calabar River, by Mr. S. Cheetham. It flowered in 

 October last (1865) in Mr. Horsfall's collection, treated as a warm terrestrial Orchid. 

 In habit and general appearance it bears some resemblance to the well-known Phajus 

 grandifolius [Bletia TanJceriillite), but the structure of the flowers is altcjgethcr different. 

 Perhaps its nearest affinity is with another charming species of Lissochi! us, L. rosnf.'^, 

 also a West African plant, but which, it is much to be regretted, has long since dis- 

 appeared from our collections. May w^e not hope that the evidence now afforded of the 

 beauty of certain West African Orchids may lead to increased efforts for the introduc- 

 tion of additional species on the part of those who, like Mr. Horsfall, liave at their 

 command peculiar facilities for obtaining the natural productions of the countries in 

 question ? For even if it be true that a large proportion of the Orchids of intertropical 

 Africa are unattractive,, there are others—some of the Angmca for example— that are 

 now as highly prized as any plants of their order. And to these many splendid addi- 

 tions would doubtless be made, could w^e but obtain a few colbn-tiorns from the Niger 

 and other mighty streams that water the richest portions of the African continent. 

 The head-waters of the Nile would also contribute their quota, for among the limited 

 collection of specimens brought home by Captains Spoke and Grant there cxi^t> a 



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