243 



its under-surface and turning slightly downwards, contracted 

 towards the base ; appendage represented by a thickened 

 slightly-raised basal margin, usually without hairs ; in front 

 of this the lamina deeply hollowed for the greater part of 

 its length: under-surface deeply and narrowly channelled 

 along the centre from base to tip : long hairs inserted on the 

 lateral margins, but rarely on the basal eminence. Column 

 about 5 lines rather incurved ; wings quadrangular, upper 

 angles slightly acute and ciliated, lower angles quite blunt 

 and rounded and ciliated, anterior margins with inturned 

 hairs ; slightly winged in its middle third on each side of the 

 stigma. Anther quite blunt, oblique or horizontal. Stigma 

 semi-elliptical, notched or toothed in its upper margin com- 

 municating with the prominent rostellum by a deep groove 

 or channel. 



This plant differs from P. rvfa chiefly in its green radical 

 rosette of leaves as opposed to a withered rosette, in its thick 

 fleshy labellum as opposed to a membranous labellum, and 

 in the labellar appendage, which is represented by a thickened 

 basal margin in Lindley's species and hj a thickened trans- 

 verse fold of the lamina in rufa. It differs further in con- 

 formation of the stigma, semi-elliptical in the former, ellipti- 

 cal in the latter. Mitchelli blooms three to four months 

 earlier than rufa. From squirm at a it differs in its possession 

 of a green radical rosette and in the absence of any tendency 

 to imbrication of the bracts ; it differs markedlv in the shape 

 of the stigma- and slightly in the basal eminence of the 

 labellum which has more the character of a thickened semi- 

 circular ridge in mitchelli rather than a raised flattened sur- 

 face as in squamata. 



In this species, as in the other two, there are great con- 

 tinental variations in the length of the sepal points which 

 are sometimes found to be quite short. Their length would 

 appear to depend on local conditions and circumstances. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 



Plate XIV. 

 Prasoph yll u in intricatu m, Stua it. 

 The plant (natural size). 

 Flower (enlarged) seen from above. 

 ,, ,, ,, below. 



Column ,, ,, front. 



,, ,, ,, the back. 



,, ,, ,, the side, showing ciliation 



of outer division of the 

 lateral appendage. 

 Upper-surface of labellum (enlarged). 



Lower-surface ,, ,, showing recurved tip. 



Side view „ „ 



Fig. 



1. 



,3 



2. 



J J 



3. 



11 



4. 



) J 



5. 



>> 



6. 



>' 



7. 



)> 



8. 



r) 



9. 



