Our illustration was made from specimens collected by Dr. I. B. Pole Evans, C.M.G., at Irene, near Pretoria.
Description:—An acaulescent herb with large underground fleshy tubers 7 cm. long, about 5 cm. in diameter, and thick cylindric roots arising from the junction of the tuber and short stem. Leaves three to four to a plant, 19 to 30 cm. long, 1·5 to 3 cm. broad, lanceolate linear, subacuminate, acute, plicate, with the primary nerves prominent beneath, glabrous. Inflorescence lateral, racemose, about 26-flowered. Peduncle about 30 cm. long, surrounded by brown membranous sheaths 8 to 9 cm. long. Floral-bracts 4 cm. long, linear, acuminate, acute. Pedicels about 6 mm. long. Sepals 2·8 cm. long, 1·1 cm. broad, ovate-lanceolate, shortly acuminate, acute, the upper sepal slightly narrower. Side petals 2·6 cm. long, 1 cm. broad, lanceolate, acute. Lip 3 cm. long, 1·3 cm. broad, 3-lobed; the middle lobe, obovate, obtuse, sparsely covered with short filaments and produced at the base into 2 keels; side lobes deep purple, 8 mm. long, 9 mm. broad, ovate-oblong, obtuse, unequal sided; spur 5 mm. long, slightly curved, terete, blunt. Column 1 cm. long, 3 mm. broad, oblong, convex on the back, deeply concave on the face. Operculum ovate; pollinia ovate, attached to a single gland. Stigma kidney-shaped. (National Herb. Pretoria, No. 2650.)
[Plate 119.]—Fig. 1, plant much reduced; 2, bract; 3, median longitudinal section of flower; 4, sepal; 5, side petal; 6, 7, lip; 8, column.
F.P.S.A., 1923.
S. Gower del.