stems 4–9 in. long, erect, 3/4–1 in. square, puberulous, green; angles much compressed, with erect rudimentary leaves 2/3–1 1/2 lin. long at the teeth; flowers 1–2 together at the middle or lower part of the young stems, opening successively; pedicels 1/2– 2/3 in. long, 1 1/3–1 1/2 lin. thick, velvety; sepals 1/4– 1/3 in. long, lanceolate, acuminate, velvety; corolla in bud ovate, acuminate, 5-angled, when expanded the lobes recurve and cross each other behind, but if laid flat the flower measures 3–4 1/2 in. in diam., velvety on the back, transversely rugose and quite glabrous on the inner face, not ciliate, dull reddish-purple, darker at the tips of the lobes, the whole surface to the tips transversely marked with numerous very narrow linear irregular yellowish-white lines, those on the disk more slender and often dark-coloured instead of whitish; lobes 1 1/2–2 in. long, 3/4 in. broad, lanceolate, acuminate, much recurved, slightly revolute at the margins; outer corona-lobes 1/4 in. long, nearly 1 lin. broad, erectly spreading, recurved at the apex, linear, channelled down the face, obtuse or emarginate, with a very distinct apiculus, blackish-purple; inner corona-lobes ascending-spreading, blackish-purple, with the dorsal wing 1/4 in. long, erectly spreading, free to the base, oblong-linear or deltoid-lanceolate, obtuse or acute, entire or slightly toothed on the inner margin; inner horn 1/4– 1/3 in. long, triquetrous-subulate, straight, with hooked or recurved tips. null
