152 Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society. 



The following rare and little known species having turned up 

 again after a lapse of some seventy years, I have thought it desirable 

 to describe it more fully : — 



Pterygodium bifidum (Sond.), Schltr., in Bull. Herb. Boiss. v. 6 

 (1898), p. 856 (Orchidacese-Disperideae). 



(§ Oorycium, Schltr.) 



Erecta, glabra, semi-pedalis ; folia circa sex, erecta, lanceolata, 

 acuminata, basi vaginantia, duo inferiora 4*2 cm. longa, superiora 

 sensim minora ; spica cylindrica, dense multiflora, obtusa, 6'5 cm. 

 longa, 1 cm. diam., fioribus confertis, regulariter dispositis, 

 subsessilibus ; bracteae ovatae vel lanceolatae, acuminatae, mem- 

 branacae, inferioribus flores excedentibus ; sepala lateralia antica, 

 in laminam oblongam vel suborbicularem concavam, obtusissimam, 

 retusam vel bifidam marginibus innexis, coalita, 0*45 cm. longa ; 

 sepalum impar lanceolatum acuminatum, 0'45 cm. longum ; petala 

 semiorbicularia valde concava, marginibus exterioribus innexis, 

 cucullum suborbicularem, - 4 cm. latum, efformantia ; labellum 

 pendulum, ligulatum (lanceolatum, ex Sonder) acutum, integer- 

 rimum, basi haud angustatum, trinervum, 0'35 cm. longum, 0*093 

 cm. latum, appendice aequilonga, erecta, unguiculata, ovata, obova- 

 tave, carnosa, apicem versus angulo subrecto cucullato-inflexa, costa 

 prominenti longitudinaliter percursa ; ovarium ovatum, apice in 

 collum gracile angustatum. Corycium bifidum, Sond., in Linn&a, 

 v. 19, p. 111. G. ligulatum, Beichb. f., ibid. p. 375 ; Walp. Annates, 

 v. 1, p. 805 ; Bolus, Orch. Gape Penins, p. 180. 



Hab. : Mountains near Cape Town, Ecklon & Zeyher (ex Sond.) ; 

 near Caledon, sent by Mr. A. W. Goatcher, Jan., 1904, No. 10568 in 

 my herb. 



This species has a somewhat similar floral structure to that of 

 Ft. microglossum, Schltr., but is utterly different in general appear- 

 ance and size and in the shape of the lip. In habit it resembles 

 Pt. bicolorum, Schltr., and Pt. excisum, Schltr. ; but also differs in 

 the lip and in the smaller size of its flowers, which are, indeed, the 

 smallest in the genus, about 25-30 being contained in a length of an 

 inch on the spike. The species is rare ; it has not been found since 

 Ecklon and Zeyher's time until now, and was previously unseen both 

 by Schlechter and myself. Of the identity with the type there is 

 scarcely a doubt. 



