Plate 119. EULOPHIA zeyheri.

Cape Province, Transvaal, Natal, Basutoland.

Orchidaceae. Tribe Vandeae. Eulophia, R. Br.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 535. Eulophia Zeyheri, Hook. f. Bot. Mag. t. 7330; Bolus Ic. Orch. Austr.-Afr. ii. t. 24; Fl. Cap. vol. v. sect. iii. p. 43.

This pretty little orchid is quite a common plant in the grass veld during the summer months, and has been extensively gathered by botanical collectors, though strangely enough it is not generally met with in gardens. It has been known to botanists for about sixty years, but under the name E. bicolor, until Sir Joseph Hooker in 1893 pointed out that this name had already been assigned to another species in the genus, and published the present name E. Zeyheri.

The tubers resemble a string of large beads, and send out leaves and roots from the constrictions between the swollen portions. The plant has been successfully grown in Gloucestershire, England, by the late Mr. H. J. Elwes, and should certainly receive the attention of South African cultivators.

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.