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South African National

Biodiversity Insti u

RUDOLF MARLOTH

THE FLOWERING PLANTS OF

SOUTH AFRICA.

A MAGAZINE CONTAINING HAND-COLOURED FIGURES WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF THE

FLOWERING PLANTS INDIGENOUS TO SOUTH AFRICA.

EDITED BY

E. P. PHILLIPS, M.A., D.Sc., F.R.S.(S. Afr.),

Chief, Division of Botany and Plant Pathology, Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Pretoria;

and Director of the Botanical Survey of the Union of South Africa,

VOL. XXII

The veld which lies so desolate and bare

Will blossom into cities white and fair,

And pinnacles will pierce the desert air,

And sparkle in the sun.

R. C. Macfie’s “ Ex Unitate Vires.”

L. REEVE & CO., Ltd.,

SANKEY HOUSE, BROOK, ASHFORD, KENT

SOUTH AFRICA:

J. L. VAN SCHAIK LTD.

P.O. BOX 724, PRETORIA

1942.

All rights reserved.

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN

TO THE MEMORY OF

RUDOLF MARLOTH

M.A., PH.D., F.R.S.(S,AFR. ) .

FOUNDATION MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE

BOTANICAL SURVEY OF THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA,

AUTHOR OF THE “FLORA OF SOUTH AFRICA,” ETC.,

PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE

ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE (1914), THIS VOLUME IS DEDI-

CATED FOR THE PART HE PLAYED IN INCULCATING A LOVE

OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN VELD AMONG A LARGE SECTION

OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN PUBLIC.

Division of Botany and Plant Pathology, Pretoria,

October , 1942.

.

8U

M.E. Connell del.

Plate 841.

NERINE BOWDENI.

Cape Province.

AmARYLLID ACE AE .

Nerine Bowdeni W. Watson in Gard, Chron. 1904, vol. 36, p. 365;

Curtis’s Bot. Mag. tab. 8117 (1907).

The genus Nerine has been a favourite subject with

horticulturists since the earliest days of botanical exploration

at the Cape. William Herbert, one of the pioneers in Nerine

culture, soon proved that interspecific hybridisation is readily

accomplished, and, following on his work, many hybrids are

in cultivation in England to-day. As is only fitting, the genus

has received special mention in Herbertia, the official year-

book of the American Amaryllis Society, named after William

Herbert, divine and botanist. One of the members of the

Amaryllis Society, Mr. W. M. James of California, is actively

engaged at present in the production of further hybrids,

using N. Bowdeni as one of the parent stock. About this

species he writes : “ It is one of the hardiest and can be

grown out of doors in the south and west of England. It

propagates more rapidly than any of the others I have grown,

except N. filifolia.”

The cultivated specimen of N. Bowdeni figured in Curtis’s

Botanical Magazine under tab. 8117 in 1907, is a magnificent

example of the species, and such excellence is rarely attained

under natural conditions. Under cultivation the leaves may

or may not remain green throughout the year, but bulbs are

almost invariably leafless when they flower in the veld about

March-April.

The opportunity of illustrating N. Bowdeni here occurred

when specimens forwarded from Queenstown to the Albany

Museum, Grahamstown, by Mr. B. H. Dodd were re-directed

to the National Herbarium, Pretoria, by Miss G. Britten.

The arrival of the flowers in Pretoria in a suitable condition

for figuring, after such an exacting journey, testifies to their

good travelling qualities. Mr. Dodd collected the plants at

Glen Grey, near Queenstown, in April, and stated that natives

bring in annually quantities for sale from this and neighbour-

ing localities. He adds that another more slender member

of the genus, N. angustifolia Baker, is also in bloom at the

same time in the Queenstown area.

The leaves of N. Bowdeni shbwn in the figure were produced

in July and August from one of Mr. Dodd’s bulbs in cultiva-

tion at the Division of Botany and Plant Pathology. It

will be noted that eight leaves are shown, which is a more

prolific development than illustrated in the Botanical Magazine

figure. So far the bulbs in cultivation have not exhibited

the tendency to form offsets as noted by other observers.

Nerine Bowdeni is named after Mr. Athelstan Cornish

Bowden, one-time Surveyor General at the Cape, who was

instrumental in introducing bulbs into cultivation in England

at the end of the 19th century.

Description : — Bulbs very firm and solid, covered by dry membranous

leaf-bases showing silky strands on breaking, up to 5 cm. diameter and 6 cm.

high, contracted into a neck of about equal length, with a butt below the

bulb from which the roots arise. Leaves produced after the flowers, up to

eight from a bulb, 20-30 cm. long and 1-5-3 cm. broad. Scape erect, up

to 45 cm. long, nearly cylindric, 5-6 mm. thick, solid at the base and becom-

ing hollow towards the apex. Spathe-valves 2, membranous, slightly un-

equal, lanceolate, up to about 5 cm. long. Umbel usually 6-7-flowered

(occasionally up to 12-flowered under cultivation), 15-20 cm. across ; pedicels

trigonous, up to about 5 cm. long, the central younger ones shorter. Perianth-

segments rose-pink, the midrib, owing to its greater density, appearing of a

darker shade, free almost to the base, contracted above the union, thence

the margins overlapping for a short distance, spreading-recurved above,

up to 6 cm. long, 7-8 mm. broad, undulate along the margins above the middle

on the recurved portion. Stamens without appendages at the base, some-

what shorter than the perianth-segments, upcurved at the tips (not con-

sistently symmetrically so in the plant figured, due possibly to the result

of packing for post). Style about as long as the stamens, very shortly

3-lobed ; the lobes adhering together. Capsule obtusely and irregularly 3-

lobed, up to 1 cm. diameter. (National Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 26,474.) —

R. A. Dyer.

Plate 841. — Fig. 1, bulb; 2. flower, face view; 3, longitudinal section

of ovary.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

<942

M.E. Connell del.

Plate 842.

HAWORTHIA LONGIANA.

Cape Province.

Liliaceae.

Haworthia Longiana von Poellnitz in Fedde, Rep. XLI, pp. 203-204

(1937).

The very long, rigid leaves of this plant make it one of

the most easily distinguished species in the genus Haworthia.

The first known record is of two specimens collected by Mr.

A. S. Archibald in 1930. These specimens were found grow-

ing together on the edge of a quarry on the Hankey-Humans-

dorp road. In spite of a diligent search, no further material

could be located until, in 1936, Mr. Francis Archibald collected

a small clump of a similar plant in the foothills some distance

from East Quagga in the district of Hankey. Subsequently

more material was collected near East Quagga. Here, on a

hillside of conglomerate water-worn pebbles, it was found

growing fairly profusely in the shade, under bushes of Randia

rudis, and also in direct sunlight.

It is clear from plants growing in the field and from

cultivated plants, that sun and shade forms have to be con-

sidered when describing this species. In the latter the leaves

are dark green, long, flat or almost so on the upper surface,

and usually with concolorous tubercles on the under surface ;

when growing in the sun the leaves are yellowish-green,

shorter, concave on the upper surface and often with whitish

tubercles on the under surface.

This species is placed in the section Margaritiferae because

of its long, rigid leaves and concolorous or whitish tubercles.

The tubercles are less prominent than in other species of

this section, suggesting more the tubercles of the species in

the section Scahrae, but in the writer’s opinion H. Longiana

is more closely allied to H. attenuata Haw. and H. radula

(Jacq.) Haw. than to any other known species, hence its

inclusion in the section Margaritiferae.

The plant is named after Mr. F. R. Long, Superintendent

of Parks, Port Elizabeth, who is a keen collector of species

of Haworthia.

Description : — Plants acaulescent or very slightly

caulescent ; rosettes proliferating freely from the base.

Leaves 10-15, 7-29 cm. long, 1-3 cm. broad at the base,

3-9 mm. thick, rigid, erect or slightly spreading, dull yellowish-

green or dark green, according as growing in sun or shade,

deltoid-lanceolate, very long-acuminate; margins sharp,

entire; upper surface, in plants growing in the sun, very

concave, in plants growing in the shade, flat or slightly

concave ; this face with a slightly raised line down the middle,

otherwise smooth or with very small, slightly shining, con-

colorous tubercles; under surface convex, upper half slightly

keeled, tuberculate; tubercles infrequent on upper half of

leaf or sometimes absent, numerous on lower half, subpromi-

nent, slightly shining, concolorous (shade plants), whitish

(sun plants), occasionally transversely confluent or arranged

in somewrhat longitudinal rowrs. Inflorescence 30-70 cm.

long, 20-40-flowered, three sterile bracts at base. Bracts

about 2 mm. long, ovate, slightly mucronate. Pedicels

3-4 mm. long. Perianth 12-14 mm. long, segments forming

a tube broadening at the base, then narrowing suddenly to

the pedicel, white, pink at the base with a wide green vein

up to the tip of each tepal. Stamens 5 mm. long. Ovary

2-3 mm. long. (National Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 26,301.) —

E. E. A. Archibald.

Plate 842. — Fig. I, back view of portion of leaf; 2, dark spots on back

of old leaf; 3, cross-section of leaf ; 4, longitudinal section of flower.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

84-3

z

M.E. Connell del.

Plate 843.

HUERNIA PILLANSII.

Cape Province.

Asclepiadaceae.

Huernia Pillansii N. E. Br. in Gard. Chron. 1904, p. 50 ; Flora Capensis

vol. 4, Sect. 1, 909 (1909) ; White & Sloane, Stapelieae 957 (1937).

Huernia Pillansii N. E. Br. is unique in the genus Huernia ,

the multi-angled stems being quite unusual. Except for

H. distincta N. E. Br., which is presumed to be a hybrid

between H. Pillansii and H. clavigera Haw., all the other

species have 4-5-angled stems. The flowers of H. Pillansii,

on the other hand, are in agreement with the general structure

found in Huernia. In the absence of obviously nearly related

plants, one is at a loss to suggest exactly what position it

occupies in the evolution of the Stapelieae. The question

would perhaps be less interesting had our knowledge of the

species been restricted to a single specimen. In such cir-

cumstances it might be dismissed as a “ freak of nature,”

but the species occurs near Matjesfontein, where it was first

recorded by Pillans and Marloth in 1904, and extends into

several districts of the Little Karoo, never varying much in

habit or floral structure. One specimen illustrated in the

Stapelieae had a 4-lobed corolla, but such abnormalities are

not very uncommon among the group. As Brown pointed

out in the Gardeners’ Chronicle in 1904, when not in flower

the plants resemble a species of Trichocaulon in miniature.

T. Decaryi Choux from Madagascar in particular should be

compared.

Although H. Pillansii has been figured on more than one

occasion previously, this is the first coloured plate of it to be

published. The specimen was collected by the writer in

1939, growing under the protection of karoid scrub covering

the precipitous slopes of the Huis River Valley, through which

the road is cut from Calitzdorp to Ladismith. It was not

figured until the plant flowered at the Division of Botany

and Plant Pathology in March, 1941. The plants have

grown well in a sandy loam in pots in the glass house.

Description : — A densely tufted succulent. Stem s green

or dull purplish where exposed to the sun, up to 8 cm. tall,

cylindric, 1-T25 cm. thick, densely covered with conical

recurved softly bristle-pointed tubercles 3-5 mm. long (the

soft bristle-like structures representing rudimentary leaves)

on 20-24 vertical or spiral angles. Floioers 1-3 together,

developed successively from near the base of the young stems.

Sepals up to 6 mm. long, ovate-lanceolate at the base with a

recurved filiform tip. Corolla up to about 5 cm. in diameter

under cultivation, occasionally only 2-5 cm. in the veld;

tube companulate, up to about 8 mm. long and broad; lobes

abruptly and horizontally spreading from the tube, about

2 cm. long, lanceolate, acuminate, glabrous outside, inner

surface covered on the lobes and in the throat of the tube

with small papillae up to 0-75 mm. long, smooth on the lower

part of the tube, pale yellow, becoming pinkish-cream in the

tube, covered with small crimson spots, and the tips of the

processes also crimson. Outer corona-lobes black or purplish-

black, united at the base, up to 2 mm. long and broad, shortly

and obtusely or acutely bifid ; inner corona-lobes dark purplish-

brown, about 2 mm. long, connivent-erect, with very slightly

spreading tips, dorsally flattened, slightly humped at the base,

minutely papillate at the obtuse slight thickened apex.

(National Herbarium, No. 26,482.) — R. A. Dyer.

Plate 843. — Fig. 1, bud; 2, longitudinal section of flower; 3, inner and

outer corona.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

84- 4-

M.E. Connell del.

Plate 844.

PERIGLOSSUM KASSNERIANUM.

Transvaal.

Asclepiadaceae.

Periglossum Kassnerianum Schlechter in Engl. Bot. Jahrb. 20 Beibl.

61, p. 40; N. E. Brown in FI. Cap. vol. 4, pt. 1, p. 584.

The general reader may find the distant relationship of

this plant to the popular group of the Stajpelieae of some

interest. It is not likely to stimulate much horticultural

attention, but several features are of interest to the specialist,

especially the structure of the corona, which organ has

evolved in so many remarkable ways within the family

A sclepiadaceae .

Of the four species of Periglossum all of which are endemic

in southern Africa, two have been figured, but not P. Kassneri-

anum, and this is the only coloured illustration. The specimen

figured was collected near Vaalwater in the Waterberg district

by Dr. F. Z. van der Merwe in January, 1941. He found it

in stony ground amongst grass along a stream. The species

is named after Herr Kassner, an entomologist who collected

the first flowering specimen when accompanying Schlechter

on one of his botanical excursions in the Transvaal.

Attention should be drawn to some features in which our

specimen differs from the description of P. Kassnerianum

in the Flora Capensis, no mention of them having been made

in the original account. Firstly the corolla-lobes are stated

in the Flora Capensis to be glabrous on both surfaces, whereas

those of the figured plant are very minutely puberulous on

the upper surface. An examination of a duplicate of the type

specimen in the National Herbarium, Pretoria ( Schlechter

4043), reveals that the upper surface is mat-like, and is also

minutely puberulous as observed under a high-powered hand-

lens. What appears to be a real difference is the length and

proportions of the corona-lobes. The corona is said to be

4*5 mm. long (described from dry material no doubt) and

the blade 2\ times as long as the linear stalk, whereas the

corona-lobes of the figured specimen are 5-6 mm. long and

the blade is about five times as long as the stalk. There is

possibly also a slight difference in the proportions of the pollen

masses and caudicles. These differences, however, do not

appear to be of specific importance, since the structure of

the organs is essentially the same in both cases.

Description : — A perennial herb with a tuberous root

up to 6 cm. long and T75 cm. in diameter. Stems usually

single from each tuber annually, up to 50 cm. tall, slender,

erect, unbranched, more or less puberulous towards the apex.

Leaves erect or slightly spreading, up to 10 cm. long, 1—1*5

mm. broad, linear-filiform with revolute margins, acute,

glabrous or thinly and minutely puberulous. Umbels 1-3,

pedunculate, densely globose, if three the middle one usually

the largest, up to 2 cm. diameter. Peduncles usually up to

about 3 cm. long. Flowers subsessile. Sepals tinged with

purple, 3-4 mm. long, narrowly lanceolate, puberulous.

Corolla pale green tinged with purple, about 1 cm. long,

shortly tubular at the base; lobes 7 mm. long, oblong-

lanceolate, acute, concave at the basal part, slightly convex,

with revolute margins above, recurved at the apex, glabrous

on the outer surface, minutely puberulous on the inner

surface. Corona-lobes overtopping the staminal-column, the

basal portion with the margins recurved into the concave

bases of adjacent corolla-lobes, slightly incumbent at the

middle and reflexed at the apex, 5-6 mm. long in all, 2 mm.

broad; stalk about 1 mm. long; the upper portion ovate-

oblong, obtuse, truncate or slightly cordate at the base,

thickened in the upper third on the inner face into two or

partly three keels, which terminate in a small flap resting on

the top of two basal keels, which enclose a central longitudinal

cavity, alternating with the corona-lobes at their base are

five minute lobes. Staminal-column about 2-5 mm. high;

the anther appendages indexed and expanded forming a

canopy over the column. Pollen-masses slightly flattened,

crescent-shaped, obtuse; caudicles somewhat longer than the

pollen-masses, curved. Ovary shortly tomentose, becoming

narrowly lanceolate, attenuate. (National Herbarium,

Pretoria, 26,469.) — R. A. Dyer.

Plate 844. — Fig. 1, inner view of corona- lobes ; 2, aide view of corona-

lobes; 3, staminal-column: 4, pollen-masses and caudicles.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

845

M.E. Connell del

Plate 845.

DIERAMA LUTEO-ALBIDUM.

Natal.

Ibid ace ae.

Dierama luteo-albidum Verdoorn sp. nov., planta 76 cm. alta perian-

thio campanulato, 35-45 mm. longo luteo-albido distinguitur.

Planta 76 cm. alta. Cormus 4 cm. diam., tunicis fibris superne setis

rumpentibus dense instructus. Caulis gracillimus, vaginatus. Folia ad

50 cm. longa, 5 mm. lata, 3 vel 4 longe vaginantibus, laminis 15-25 cm.

longis. Inflorescentia 2-5-ramosa; spica secunda, 3-5-flora, circiter 8 cm.

longa; pedunculi gracillimi, cernui, spicas longiores vel subequilongi.

Spathae (e quibus rami orti sunt) circiter 6 cm. longae, lineares, mem-

branaceae, albidae, plerumque brunneo-notatae, interiores bifidae. Bracteae

circiter 2-7 cm. longae, 1-3 cm. latae, basi amplixicaules, apice 3-lobatae, mem-

branaceae, multi vel pauci brunneo-notatae ; bracteolae 2-5 cm. longae,

1-4 cm. latae, 5-6-lobatae, aliter bracteis similes. Perianthium 3-5-4-5

cm. longum, campanulatum, albidum vel lacteum parte luteo tincto ; tubus

1- 2 cm. longus; segmenta 2-7 cm. longa, 1 cm. lata. Stamina sub fauce

inserta quam perianthium breviora; filamenta 9 mm. longa, decurrentia;

antherae 1 cm. longae, violaceae. Ovarium viride, 5 mm. longum ; stylus

2- 5 cm. longus, ramis 4 mm. longis.

Natal. Nottingham Road, Reynolds 3723 and in National Herbarium

No. 26,498 (type) ; Howick, Medley Wood 8675 ; near Lidgetton, Medley

Wood 6202.

This is the fourth species of Dierama to be figured in this

work, and the first with whitish flowers. Among the known

species only two have previously been described as bearing

white or yellow flowers, the more usual colours for the genus

being pink, mauvy-pink, purple, claret or deep violet. The

two species, D. pumilum N. E. Br. and D. elatum N. E. Br.,

with white or yellow flowers differ from our plant, among

other characters, in having much smaller flowers, the perianths

being about 1-4 cm. long in the former and about 2-3 cm.

long in the latter. D. datum is also very much taller, being

over 5 ft.

Taking the plant as a whole and the large campanulate

flowers in particular, D. luteo-albidum is readily distinguished

from all other known species in Natal. Its nearest relatives

are from the Cape Province, D. pulcherrimum Baker, D.

pendulum Baker and D. grandijlorum Lewis. These three

have large campanulate flowers, but they all differ in the colour

of the perianth, besides being taller and having more spikes

to the inflorescence. They seem also to be restricted in their

distribution; D. pulcherrimum in Kaffraria, especially be-

tween the Keiskama and Buffalo Rivers; D. pendulum from

the Humansdorp to the Albany district, and D. grandiflorum

near Graaff Reinet and Somerset East. A species from the

Katberg, D. longiflorum Lewis, has large flowers, but they are

not campanulate. The perianth is deep claret in this case,

and the plant 1-34 metres tall.

The specimen figured was collected by Mr. G. W. Reynolds

about 1 mile south of Nottingham Road in Natal. He

described the flowers as being pure white and the buds

slightly tinged with greenish-yellow. Mr. Reynolds reports

having seen the same species at Balgowan with cream flowers

and again near Howick with “ dirty cream-yellow flowers.”

It is noteworthy that the anthers of the plant figured were a

deep violet colour and the filaments tinted with violet. From

Mr. Reynolds’ observation it seems justifiable to take the

white to yellowish colour of the corolla as being a fairly

constant character of the species. This is borne out by the

records on two additional specimens in the National Herbarium,

which agree in all particulars with our plant. They were

collected by J. Medley Wood, the one at Lidgetton in 1896,

the flowers being described as “ luteo-albi ” and the other

near Howick in 1902 with flowrers “ lactei.” These specimens,

therefore, also belong to the newiy described species, Dierama

luteo-albidum.

Description. — Plant about 76 cm. tall. Corm 4 cm. diameter, densely

covered with a fibrous tunic which splits into bristles above. Flowering

stalks very slender and wiry but closely sheathed to the lowest branch of the

inflorescence by the leaves. Leaves which sheath at base only, up to 50 cm.

long and 5 mm. wide, 3 to 4 leaves closely sheathing the stem with free

points 15 to 25 cm. long. Inflorescence 2-5-branched ; spikes secund,

3-5-flowered, about 8 cm. long, borne on very slender nodding peduncles

as long as or longer than the spikes. Spathes subtending the branches of the

inflorescence narrowly linear, 6 cm. long, membranous, whitish, usually

obviously marked with brown or purple line markings ; the inner split at

the apex. Floral bracts 2-7 cm. long, 1-3 cm. broad, closely amplexicaul

at the base, 3-lobed at the apex, membranaceous, usually with many (rarely

just a few) brownish line markings; bracteole 2-5 cm. long and 1-4 cm.

broad at the middle, 5-6-lobed at the apex otherwise more or less like the

bract. Perianth white or cream tinged in parts with greenish yellow, 3-5

to 4-5 cm. long, campanulate; tube 1-2 cm. long; segments 2-7 cm. long,

1 cm. wide. Stamens inserted below the throat, decurrent on the tube ;

filaments 9 mm. long ; anthers 1 cm. long, deep violet. Ovary green, 5 mm.

long; style 2-5 cm. long, with branches up to 4 mm. long. — I. C. Verdoorn.

Plate 845. — Fig. 1, outer floral bract; 2, inner floral bract; 3, flower

opened out.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

84<S

CcumeJl dfl.

Plate 846.

POLYSTACHYA SIMILIS.

Cape Province, Natal, Transvaal.

Orchid ace ae.

Polystachya similis Reichb. f. in Otia Bot. Hamb. 1881, p. 112 ; Bolus,

Orchids of South Africa vol. 2, tab. 33 (1911).

Of the ten species of Polystachya recorded in the Flora

Capensis, P. similis is the fourth to be illustrated in this

work. An additional species, P. zuluensis L. Bolus, was

figured and described for the first time on Plate 727 in 1939.

P. similis, like P. transvaalensis Schlechter, does not

develop pseudo-bulbs, which are a characteristic feature of

many species in the genus. It seems that these two species,

and possibly others, bridge the gap between purely epiphytic

orchids and terrestrial ones. Concerning P. transvaalensis,

Dr. L. Bolus stated under Plate 297 that plants at Kirsten -

bosch growing in a pot with soil and humus flowered well

and looked very healthy. Dr. H. Bolus writing of P. similis

under Plate 33 of Orchids of South Africa vol. 2, 1911, stated

that the plant clearly appeared to be terrestrial. On the

other hand, the plant figured here, collected in February,

1941, by Dr. F. Z. van der Merwe, was growing as an epiphyte

on a large tree in a dense bush-group in a ravine. It was

found in association with a species of Angraecum and Ansellia.

Little light penetrated to the habitat of these plants below the

forest canopy. P. Ottoniana Reichb. f., one of the commonest

species of Polystachya in South Africa and differing from the

above two species in the production of pseudo-bulbs, is found

in dense clumps either on trunks of trees or, as in the case

of the plant figured on Plate 719, “ among granite rocks.”

Until recently P. similis had not been recorded within

the Transvaal, and the present record near Lang Spruit,

north of White River in the Lydenburg district, overlaps the

distribution range of P. transvaalensis, which is a closely

related species. It is distinguished by its somewhat larger

flowers and longer stems. In the illustration of the individual

flower the side lobes of the lip appear narrower and longer

than they are actually, owing to the angle at which they were

drawn. The relative size is better judged from Fig. 1, in

which the lip is drawn flat.

Description : — Stems tufted, 2-7 cm. long, very slightly

thickened at the base and about 1 cm. in diameter, with 2-3

sheaths below the leaves. Leaves 2-5, oblong or elliptic-

oblong, 5-15 cm. long, up to 3-5 cm. broad, narrowed to the

base and unequally and shallowly bilobed at the apex,

coriaceous. Scales 15-25 cm. tall, simple or branched, with

2- 3 bracts below, puberulous above; the raceme or panicle

branches 1-25-3-75 cm. long, up to 15-flowered. Bracteoles

deltoid-triangular acuminate, about 4 mm. long. Pedicels

7-8 mm. long. Dorsal sepal ovate, 4 mm. long, apiculate ;

lateral sepals triangular-ovate, 5-6 mm. long, apiculate.

Petals spathulate-oblong, 2-5 mm. long. Lip 5 mm. long,

3- lobed, broadly cuneate at the base and with a small keel

below the middle and granular; central lobe orbicular-oblong,

crenulate, recurved at the apex, apiculate (appearing emargi-

nate in face view) ; side lobes broadly oblong, obtuse or

subacute, 1 mm. long on the inner margin. Column stout,

with a small cavity towards the anther gland. Capsule

elliptic-oblong in outline, 1 cm. long. (National Herbarium,

Pretoria, No. 26,470.) — R. A. Dyer.

Plate 846. — Fig. 1, lip; 2, petal.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

847

Plate 847.

ACROCEPHALUS CALLIANTHUS.

Nyasaland.

Labiateae.

Acrocephalus callianthus Briq. in Engl. Bot. Jahrb. XIX 169 (1895).

The specific epithet meaning “ lovely flower ” is very

suitable for this species. The fresh mauve to violet colour

which suffuses the bracts and the delicate metallic gleam of

the finely constructed heads make it a most attractive plant.

Specimens were collected by Dr. I. B. Pole-Evans on the Zomba

Plateau, Nyasaland, and plants were also seen on Dedza

highlands, where they grew in a mixed community both in

shade and in the open. The plant figured was grown from

seed collected by Mr. J. Erens on the Pole-Evans Central and

East African Expedition, 1938. It flowered at the Division

of Botany and Plant Pathology in June, 1940. Being at

most a biennial, it is essential to collect seed annualty if it is

to become a regular member of the garden.

Description : — An annual or biennial herb 2 to 3 ft. tall,

stem 4-sided, about 8 mm. thick, pubescent, branched towards

the apex. Branches opposite and ultimately trichotomous,

4-sided, pubescent. Leaves ovate-lanceolate to elliptic, rang-

ing from about 2 to 15 cm. long and 1 to 7 cm. broad, crenate

on the margins, subacute at the apex, cuneate at the base,

petioled, pubescent on both surfaces, those approaching the

flower heads suffused with lavender violet in the lower half

or middle and the uppermost smaller and altogether coloured.

Flowers in dense compact heads which arise in threes and

terminate the ultimate trichotomous branchlets. Bracts at

the base of the flower heads, leaf-like but entirely suffused

with lavender violet, paler at the base. Floral bracts im-

bricate, 4-ranked, broadly ovate; the outer about 6 mm.

long and 6 mm. wide, pilose at the base dorsally, the upper half

lavender violet. Flowers 3-nate in each bract. Calyx 2-

lipped, compressed, up to 2 mm. long, minutely glandular

without and with a ring of translucent hairs about the middle ;

upper lobe entire, broadly rounded at the apex, up to 1 mm.

long; lower lobe entire, slightly shorter than the upper.

Corolla about 5 mm. long, 2-lipped; upper lip 3-lobed, with

the lobes erect-spreading, lavender violet and with the central

pilose at the base within ; lower lip entire, slightly longer than

the upper, shallowly boat-shaped and somewhat ascending

at apex. Stamens 4, declinate ; the lower pair slightly

longer than the upper. Nutlets 4 on a fleshy disc ; style

gynobasic, about 4 mm. long. ( Pole-Evans and Evens,

No. 567 and in National Herbarium, No. 26,391.) — I. C.

Verdoorn.

Plate 847. — Fig. 1, a head of flowers with basal bracts, only outer row

of flowers mature; 2, complete flower; 3, upper lobe of calyx; 4, corolla

cut open to show attachment of stamens ; 5, gynoecium on fleshy disc.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

FAb

M. E. Connell del

Plate 848.

COTYLEDON RACEMOSA.

Little Namaqualand.

Crassulaceae.

Cotyledon racemosa E. Mey. ex Harv. in FI. Cap. vol. 2, p. 375

(1861-62) ; N. E. Br. in Gard. Chron. 1912, p. 348.

When the plant figured here first flowered at the Division

of Botany and Plant Pathology in September, 1939, there

was some doubt as to its correct name. It was, however,

recognised that its nearest affinity must be C. racemosa

E. Mey. Correspondence with the Bolus Herbarium and the

subsequent loan of material and drawings from that institution

led to the conclusion that it is not more than a form of that

species.

The original description of C. racemosa was based on

inadequate material collected by Drege near the mouth of

the Orange River in Little Namaqualand. N. E. Brown

attempted to make good the deficiencies in the description

by describing a living plant flowering at the Royal Botanic

Gardens, Kew, in 1912. This plant had been collected by

Professor H. H. W. Pearson on the Percy Sladen Expedition

to Namaqualand in 1910. Brown makes a special point that

the leaves are sessile, but not sheathing at the base. It is

quite understandable that Brown did not receive a fully

mature plant, and it is not surprising that he under-estimated

its height. He gave it as 15-20 cm., whereas the specimen

figured here is already more than 30 cm. high and, if the

writer’s recollection is correct, plants even taller were observed

in the veld near Steinkopf, from which area our plant was

collected in 1937 ( Dyer and Verdoorn No. 157). Unlike

Brown’s plant, which had thinly pubescent leaves, ours has

glabrous leaves. Probably due to the conditions of cultiva-

tion, the peduncle and inflorescence of the figured plant are

more elongated than natural. In the original description

the peduncles are said to be not much longer than the leaves,

and the inflorescence subcorymbose. This is usually the case

in specimens flowering in the veld. The leaves of the plant

figured are apparently fairly typical, but it would seem that

considerable variation in width may occur, judging from

specimens both in the Bolus and National herbaria. Some

specimens have leaves up to 1 cm. broad, and one plant

cultivated at the National Botanic Gardens, Kirstenbosch,

had leaves up to 5 cm. long, 1-6 cm. broad and 4 mm. thick.

The colour of the flowers is also variable. No definite record

was made for the type specimen. Brown gave it as pale

green with white lobes ; others have described it variously as

“ white with red dots appearing purplish-pink ” ; “ corolla-

tube greenish-white, segments white with a broad red keel

due to closely set reel specks ” ; “ corolla red-brown ” ; “ greenish

white,” etc.

The species is fairly frequent on the hills of the Richtersveld

in Little Namaqualand. It has been collected on several

occasions in addition to the records referred to above.

Description : — A succulent plant up to 30 cm. high with a short main

stem about 3 cm. thick with a greenish-brown bark which peels off in tough

flakes with age. Branches nude below, covered with the withered remains

of leaves above and terminating in leafy tips. Leaves crowded at the end

of the branches, spreading, 2-3-5 cm. long, 5-9 cm. broad, usually broadly

linear, occasionally spathulate, flat or slightly concave on the upper surface,

rounded or more rarely flatfish beneath, obtuse, pitted, giving the surface

a crystalline appearance, with a few large scattered glands. Inflorescence

a panicled-cyme terminal or solitary on each branch or branchlet, usually

with 3-flowered cymules. Bracts usually 2, leaf-like but smaller. Pedicels

up to 1-6 cm. long, terete with a similar surface to the leaves. Flowers

erect. Sepals 8 cm. long, 2-5 mm. broad at the base, narrowly lanceolate,

acuminate, acute, pustulate. Corolla-tube greenish below, whitish and

speckled with red above, 1-6 cm. long, 6 mm. in diameter above, narrowing

gradually to the base; lobes whitish, speckled with red, 5 mm. long, 5 mm.

broad, ovate, shortly apiculate, recurved. Filaments 9 mm. long. Carpels

1 cm. long, tapering into the style; stigma small, capitate. Squamae 1-25

mm. long, 0-25 mm. broad, oblong, shortly 2-lobed at the apex. (National

Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 25,476.) — R. A. Dyer.

Plate 848. — Fig. 1, transverse section of leaf towards base ; 2, transverse

section of leaf about the middle ; 3, flower ; 4, corolla opened out ; 5,

gynoecium ; all x 2.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

S4.9

M.E. Connell del

Plate 849.

ALOE LINEARIFOLIA.

Natal.

Lieiaceae.

Aloe linearifolia Berger in Engl. Bot. Jahrb. vol. 57, p. 640 (1922).

The correct identity and distribution of Aloe linearifolia

were discussed by the writer in a note in the Journal of S.A.

Botany vol. 7, pt. 3, 169 (1941). It is a rare and com-

paratively little known species. It generally has a distichous

leaf-cluster closely resembling that of A. Cooperi Bak., but

considerably smaller, while the 12 mm. long yellow flowers

are almost identical in shape and structure with those of A.

Ecklonis Salm. Dyck.

In his original description Berger described the leaves as

“ without teeth and keel,” but these are not constant charac-

ters. Plants do occur occasionally without a keel and marginal

teeth, but there are usually a few small teeth near the base

of the leaves, the teeth being obsolete upwards. The leaves

are usually canaliculate on the upper surface and convex on

the lower, but sometimes an inconspicuous obtuse keel is

found. The accompanying plate was prepared from a living

plant collected by the writer in February, 1941, near Margate,

Natal, while the description given below incorporates observa-

tions made on a number of plants in this area and on others

found at the type locality on the farm “ Fairfield ” near

Dumisa about 30 miles distant.

Description : — Roots fusiform. Stem absent or very

short, usually simple, sometimes 1-2 branched. Leaves 6-8,

usually distichous or sometimes slightly twisted to rosulate,

linear, about 25 cm. long, 5-8 mm. wide, imbricate-amplexicaul

at the base; the upper surface green, immaculate, canalicu-

late; the lower surface convex, rarely inconspicuously

carinate, with the oldest leaves conspicuously white and brown

spotted near the base ; the margins usually minutely dentate

near the base, rarely edentate. Inflorescence 1, rarely 2,

simple, capitate, 20-25 cm. high. Peduncles about 4 mm.

diameter, clothed with a few scattered sterile bracts. Racemes

capitate, the flowering portion 2 cm. long, 16-24-flowered ;

the sterile bracts pale brownish, up to 15 mm. long, 7 mm.

broad at the base, subscarious, about 7-nerved; the floral

bracts pale brownish up to 10 mm. long, 5 mm. broad at the

base, thin, subscarious, 5-7 nerved. Pedicels 12-15 mm.

long, elongating up to 20 mm. in the fruiting stage. Perianth

greenish-yellow to yellow, 12 mm. long, cylindric-trigonous,

tapering at the base into the pedicel, the mouth slightly

upturned, somewhat stellate (not bilabiate) ; outer segments

free almost to the base, obscurely 3-nerved, apices subacute,

brownish tipped ; inner segments free, broader than the outer

and with a slight greenish keel. Anthers not or very shortly

exserted. Ovary green, 3-5 mm. long, 2 mm. in diameter,

6-grooved; stigma at length exserted 1-2 mm. (National

Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 26,471.) — G. W. Reynolds.

Plate 849. — Fig. 1, cross-section of leaf;

perianth.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

2, longitudinal section of

850

M E. Connell del.

Plate 850.

TRICHOCAULON PILLANSII.

Cape Province.

Asclepiadaceae.

Trichocaulon Pillansii N. E. Br. in Gard. Chron. vol. 35, p. 242 (1904);

FI. Cap. vol. 4, pt. 1, p. 892 (1909), White and Sloane Stapelieae vol. 3,

p. 1010 (1937).

When N. E. Brown first described Trichocaulon Pillansii

he distinguished at the same time a variety major. The variety

was characterised by a larger habit, bigger flowers and the

outer corona-lobes being in slightly diverging pairs. The

plant illustrated here does not agree entirely with the typical

form, differing from it at least in the size of the flowers, nor

is it equal in all respects to the variety major, the plants being

smaller (12 cm. as against 22-32 cm.) and the pairs of outer

corona-lobes only very slightly if at all diverging. It seems

to represent an intermediate stage between the typical form

and the variety. It is, therefore, doubtful whether there is

any justification for the use of the varietal name. Most

members of the Stapelieae exhibit variability in such characters

as used by Brown for the differentiation of the variety major.

The figure in the Stapelieae by White and Sloane compares

closely with the plant figured here. The flowers of the latter

were practically sessile when the plant flowered in August,

1941, in the glass house at the Division of Botany and Plant

Pathology, Pretoria, but pedicels up to 4 cm. long were

developed when the plant was brought indoors for figuring.

It was originally collected by Mr. C. P. Oosthuisen in the Karoo

veld near Calitzdorp in the Cape Province.

The flowers of species of Trichocaulon are said by White

and Sloane to arise between the tubercles, at or towards the

top or all over the stems, subsolitary or 2 or more together,

successively developed. An examination of specimens of

Trichocaulon Pillansii and other species, particularly of the

group with the stem-tubercles tipped with spines or bristles.

shows that the tubercles are in regular rows on the young,

non-flowering portion, but are apparently often irregularly

arranged on the older flowering portions of the stems. The

flowering eyes are seen in most cases to interrupt the vertical

series of tubercles, giving them an irregular appearance.

And the flowering eyes themselves are of particular interest.

The older ones may show several pedicel scars and, whereas

2-3 or sometimes more flowers may be produced successively

from each in any one year, they may also produce a further

series in subsequent years. This accounts for the flowering

“ all over the stems,” both the young and the old flowering

eyes producing flowers at the same time. Like those of

other species the flowers of T. Pillansii have a most nauseating

smell.

Description : — A tufted succulent up to 25 cm. high. Steins up to

about 5 cm. in diameter, with 25-30 rows of tubercles ending in stiff bristles

up to 4-5 mm. long, with flowering eyes scattered on the stem, either breaking

the continuity of the rows of tubercles or situated in the trough between

the rows, and judging by the pedicel scars and the random appearance of

the flowers, flowers evidently appear from the same flowering eye during

more than one season. Flowers up to about 3, produced successively during

a season from each flowering eye. Pedicels either practically absent or

up to 2 mm. long (or 4 mm. under cultivation). Sepals about 2 mm. long,

ovate, acuminate. Corolla green outside tinged with brownish-pink,

especially on the margins, canary or saffron yellow within, up to about

1-3 mm. in diameter, with a basal cup-shaped tube and spreading lobes;

the tube about 4 mm. in diameter, 2-5 mm. deep, glabrous; lobes 5-6 mm.

long, 4 mm. broad, ovate, acute, papillate, with the papillae tipped with

hairs, thus “ papillate-puberulous.” Outer corona-lobes yellow, shortly

cupular at the base, each lobe being deeply divided, giving the structure a

subequally 10-toothed appearance; the spaces between adjacent corona-

lobes being U-shaped, and those between the two slightly diverging teeth

of each corona-lobe being slightly deeper and V-shaped; the teeth 1-1*5

mm. long; inner corona-lobes linear-oblong, obtuse, incumbent on the backs

of the anthers but not meeting, dorsally connected to the outer corona cup.

(National Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 26,496.) — R. A. Dyer.

Plate 850. — Fig. 1, bud; 2, longitudinal section of flower showing the

complete corona.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

Kn

C.Lelty del

Plate 851.

ACACIA ROBUSTA.

Bechuanaland, Cape Province, Transvaal, Orange Free

State and Natal .

LeGUMINOSAE.

Acacia robusta Burch. Tr&v. 2, p. 442 (1824); FI. Cap. vol. 2, p. 281

(1861-62) ; Burtt Davy, Flowering Plants and Ferns of the Transvaal,

vol. 1, pt. 2, p. 342 (1932).

Acacia robusta was first described by William Burchell,

who travelled in South Africa from 1810 to 1814. He col-

lected it in September, 1812, “on the rocky ridge at Litakun ”

— that is, near the present-day town of Kuruman. The des-

cription of the species in volume II of his travels shows that

his observations were, as, usual, particularly good. He draws

attention, among other things, to the comparatively thick

branches and to the flowers appearing on branches of the

previous year’s growth. This species has a wide distribution

in Southern Africa, extending from Bechuanaland and

Griqualand in the west through the Transvaal and Orange

Free State to Natal and the eastern Cape Province. Through

this large area the climatic and soil conditions vary con-

siderably, and this probably accounts to some extent for a

certain amount of variation in the growth of the tree. The

pods are easily distinguished from those of any other species,

but they vary among themselves in length and slightly in

shape. They are, however, always glabrous, mostly over T5

cm. broad and faintly marked with characteristic rib markings

on the surface.

Acacia clavigera E. Mey., described from near Durban, has

been put into the synonymy of Acacia robusta. The type was

described as having 20-30 pairs of leaflets, which is more than

is usually found on the Transvaal specimens, where there are

commonly from 11 to 15 pairs. Considering the wide dis-

tribution, however, this variation is quite reconcilable.

The specimen figured here was taken from a tree growing

on Meintje’s Kop, Pretoria. Flowering in September, it is

the first species of Acacia to come into bloom in the Pretoria

district. It is known by the following vernacular names :

Oudoorn, Engelse doring, Enkeldoring, Mokwi, Mokaala

Mokwi (Sech.) Mooku (Sesuto) and Mongamanzi (Shangaan).

The wood is biscuit-coloured, with a small dark-brown

heart. It is used for making yokes and also as wedges for

splitting up trunks of Spirostachys africana. It is inclined to

warp and is not naturally resistant to “ borers

Description : — Tree 20-30 ft., bark rough, dark brown ;

branches stout, spreading more or less in a plane, spurred at

the base by spines. Leaves borne on cushion-like abbreviated

shoots in the axils of a pair of spines ; the older shoots bearing

scars and stipules from the previous season’s growths. Lr ^ves

2-3-pinnate, usually with a gland only between the uppe pair

of pinnae; petiole 2-3 cm. long, about as long as pmnae-

spacing, glabrous; pinnae about 3-8 cm. long, with about Il-

ls pairs of leaflets 5 mm. apart, with racliillae thinly pubescent

above ; leaflets 9-12 mm. long and 3-5 mm. wide, rounded at

apex and rounded and unequal-sided at the base, glabrous;

the upper 2-4 pairs usually with a sessile gland between them.

In florescences appearing in clusters on cushion-like shoots on

previous year’s branches, without leaves or with young leaves

among them; peduncles 3-4 cm. long, bracteate below the

middle, glabrous or thinly and shortly pubescent; bracts

joined to form a cup-like structure about 2*5 mm. long,

ciliate. Flowers creamy-white, clustered in globose heads

T3 cm. diameter; floral bracts spathulate, 2 mm. long, ciliate

with long hairs; pedicels 0-1 mm. long. Calyx about 2 mm.

long, shortly 5-lobed, glabrous; lobes ciliate. Corolla-tube

exserted from the calyx by almost half its length, about 3 mm.

long, lobes up to 1 mm. long, ciliate with short blunt trans-

parent hairs. Stamens many, exserted from the corolla, about

7-8 mm. long. Ovary dark brown, unequal-sided, glabrous;

style filiform about 6 mm. long. Pod. (of previous season)

about 7 cm. long and 2-7 cm. wide, more or less straight (in

some specimens pods sometimes slightly acicular), somewhat

wedge-shaped at base (sometimes cuneate), and bluntly

acuminate at apex (not a constant character), marked faintly

on surface with rib-like marks, glabrous. (National Herbar-

ium, Pretoria, No. 26,499). — I. C. Verdoorn.

Plate 851. — Fig. 1, upper pair of leaflets with gland between; 2, lower

half of peduncle with joined bracts ; 3, upper portion of peduncle with most

of the flowers removed ; 4, floral bract, calyx and corolla (stamens and style

removed) ; 5, transverse section of flower showing some of the stamens, the

ovary and style.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

852

CL et.ty del.

2

Plate 852.

ANGRAECUM CONCHIFERUM.

Cape Province , Natal, Transvaal.

Orchid aceae .

Angraecum conchiferum Lindl. in Hook. Comp. Bot. Mag. vol. 2, p. 205

(1836); Bolus, Ic. Orch. Austr. Afr. vol. 2, t. 4 (1911); Rolfe in FI.

Cap. vol. 5 sect. 3 p. 70 (1912).

The grace of this small epiphytic orchid cannot fail to

rouse the interest and admiration of anyone who sees it in the

living state, but owing to its rarity this pleasure is not given

to many. The opportunity of figuring it in these pages was

afforded by Mr. A. E. Grewcock, a forester, whose keen interest

in South African orchids has resulted in several other rare

species being figured previously. Mr. Grewcock collected the

plants in October, 1935, in the Woodbush near Haenertsburg,

growing on Ilex mitis Radik. ; although it is more commonly

found on species of Podocarpus in that area. Hitherto the

distribution of the species had been recorded from Knysna

eastwards into Natal, and the present record, therefore, is

important, being a considerable extension in distribution and

a new record for the Transvaal.

The usual reduction of the inflorescence in Angraecum

conchiferum to a solitary, single-flowered scape is exceptional

in the genus. In other species the scapes are usually in

axillary fascicles, or the inflorescence is a multi-flowered spike

or raceme. Rolfe describes the stems as erect, about 1^ in.

high, but further material has shown that the stems may

eventually elongate up to about 9 inches. They are at first

erect or suberect, but as they elongate their own weight causes

them to become subpendulous with the tip curving gracefully

upwards. An old stem not infrequently produces 1-3 branches

towards its base, but rarely branches in the upper half. The

flowers of the plant shown are slightly larger than previously

recorded for the species.

Description : — Stems at first erect or suberect, becoming

subpendulous with upcurved tips, slender, up to 25 cm. long,

2-5-3 mm. thick, including the clasping leaf-base. Leaves

linear, shortly and unequally bilobed at the apex, 4-5-5 cm.

long, 3-6 mm. broad, with a persistent verrucose sheath.

Scape filiform, up to 3 cm. long, 1 -flowered (occasionally 2-

flowered, according to H. Bolus) ; bract ovate, cucullate.

Sepals creamish-white or yellowish-white, spreading-recurved,

setaceous-acuminate, up to 4 cm. long. Petals similar to the

sepals. Lip with the basal portion white, broadly ovate,

concave, crenulate along the upper margin, abruptly con-

tracted into a setaceous-cuspidate apex, and produced dorsally

into a slender curved spur up to 5 cm. long. Column short

and stout; pollinia 2; caudicle slender, gland small. (Nati-

onal Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 20,380). — R. A. Dyer.

Plate 852. — Fig. 1, lip; 2, column with anthers, pollinia and stipe; 3,

column, side view; 4, column, oblique back view.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

853

M.E. Connell del.

Plate 853.

RAPHIONACME HIRSUTA.

Cape, Natal, Orange Free State, Transvaal.

ASCLEPIADACEAE .

Raphionacme hirsuta (E. Mey. sec. N.E. Br.) R. A. Dyer comb. nov. ;

Brachystelma ? hirsutum E. Mey. Comm. PI. Afr. Austr. 197 (1837);

R. divaricata Harv. in Hook. Lond. Journ. Bot. vol. 1, p. 23 (1842);

N.E. Brown in FI. Cap. vol. 4, pt. 1, p. 539 (1907), etc.

A resume of the genus Raphionacme was given in the text to

R. Galpinii Schltr. on Plate 516 of this work. R. hirsuta

differs from R. Galpinii mainly in being more intricately

branched and in having purple and not bright green flowers.

Not only is the purple colour of R. hirsuta exceptional in the

genus, but it is also unusual in the family Asclepiadaceae as a

whole. In the Asclepiadaceae the genus Raphionacme is

considered one of the primitive members, marking a stage in

evolution towards the complex forms of the Stapelieae tribe.

The organ of primary importance in tracing this evolutionary

development is the staminal-column, the structure of the

corona and the growth form of the plants being secondary to

this. The longitudinal section of the flower shows the fila-

ments of the stamens attached to the mouth of the corolla-

tube and the anthers adnate by their inner surface to the

dilated part of the style.

Raphionacme hirsuta shows considerable variation in most

of its characters, and it has been described under at least four

different names. Brown has put the position clearly in his

account of the genus in the Flora Capensis. But Brown,

following an old custom, used the specific name R. divaricata.

The name R. hirsuta is established in accordance with recom-

mendation 37 under article 63 of the International Rules of

Botanical Nomenclature 1935, since Brown himself proved

that the plant described as Brachystelma ? hirsutum by E.

Meyer in 1937 was specifically equal to Raphionacme divaricata

Harvey 1842. The varietal name glabra which Brown estab-

lished becomes S. hirsuta var. glabra comb. nov.

The species is widely distributed in the highveld grasslands

of the Transvaal and Orange Free State, and extends through

Natal into the eastern Cape Province as far south as the

Alexandria district. The plant figured here was collected by

Dr. F. Z. van der Merwe on the Tautesberg in the Middelburg

district, and was cultivated at the Division of Botany and

Plant Pathology until it flowered and was figured in November

1941.

Description : — Perennial herb. Root tuberous, rather

variable in shape and size, but up to about 10 cm. in diameter,

with few thick roots from which slender rootlets are produced.

Stem branched from or below ground level and above also, up

to about 20 cm. high, pubescent with short spreading hairs on

the stems, under surface of the leaves, peduncle, pedicels,

calyx and outside of the corolla. Leaves shortly petiolate,

elliptic-ovate, about 2 cm. long, 1 cm. broad, but rather

variable generally. Cymes sublateral at the nodes or central

in the forks of the stem, 5- or more-flowered, subsessile or

shortly pedunculate; bracts subulate, up to 3 mm. long;

pedicels up to about 1 cm. long. Sepals lanceolate, 2-3 mm.

long. Corolla purple, campanulate, with the tube about 2 mm.

deep; lobes oblong, 4 mm. long or more, obtuse, slightly

notched on one side, spreading. Corona-lobes purple-tinted,

obovate, tailed, variable toothed on the shoulders and apical

tail, connivent over the staminal-column. Filaments inserted

at the mouth of the corolla-tube ; anthers oblong and attached

on the inner surface to the dilated portion of the style. (Nati-

onal Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 26,512). — R. A. Dyer.

Plate 853. — Fig. 1, flower enlarged; 2, longitudinal section of flower;

3, inner view of corona-lobe and anther.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

<5.54

M.E.Conne]! del.

5

Plate 854.

URGINEA MULTISETOSA.

Natal, Transvaal.

Liliaceae.

Urginea multisetosa Baker in FI. Cap. vol. 6, p. 468 (1897).

A common feature in the genus Urginea is the production

of the inflorescence early in spring before the growth of the

leaves. In consequence, the leaves of many species have

never been collected or described. This was the position

with U rginea multisetosa, and it was only by retaining the bulb

in cultivation that it was possible to include the leaves on the

present plate. The inflorescence was painted in September,

1941, while the leaves and bulb were added several weeks later.

The plant was collected originally by Dr. F. Z. van der Merwe

in 1938 at Badplaats, between Carolina and Barberton.

Urginea multisetosa is common in the grassveld of the Trans-

vaal and extends into the midland grassveld of Natal. A

character unknown in any other species in South Africa is the

fibrous crown of bristles to the bulb, formed from the persistent

vascular system of the old leaf-bases. In all other species in

the Union the leaf-bases either become membranous or

leathery. But fibrous leaf-bases are known also in at least

one species in Tropical Africa — namely, U. nigritana.

The genus Urginea is of great importance economically,

because several of the species contain highly toxic principles,

which annually cause a heavy mortality among farm animals.

U. multisetosa, however, has not yet been incriminated in this

respect. The inflorescence is slender, rather stiffly erect and

not very conspicuous, the beauty of the individual flowers only

being fully appreciated by examination under a lens.

Description : — Bulb about 6 cm. long and 4-5 cm.

diameter, not dividing into clumps, with fibrous remains of

leaf-bases. Leaves 2, produced after the inflorescence, lorate-

lanceolate, up to 15 cm. long, 1-5-1*75 cm. broad, slightly

spirally twisted, obtusely ribbed along the undersurface, with

infolded margins at the apex forming a mucro; the margin

minutely uneven under a lens. Peduncle about 30 cm. tall,

the inflorescence occupying half its length, glaucous. Bracts

1.5-2 mm. long, reduced in size towards the apex of the

peduncle, clasping the pedicel ; the tails of the lowest bracts

up to 3 mm. long, 1-5 mm. broad, obsolete above. Pedicels

up to 1 cm. long. Corolla 5-6 mm. long, cup-like in the basal

third; segments with broad, pinky-brown band and reflexed

whitish margins slightly united at the base and widely spread-

ing to reflexed in the upper two-thirds, tipped by a minute

tuft of hairs. Filaments attached to the corolla-tube slightly

above its base, about 1 mm. wide near the base and narrowed

above. Ovary oblong in outline, 3 mm. long, 6-grooved,

minutely and thinly papillose; style cylindric, 3-grooved;

stigma broader than the style, minutely papillose. (National

Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 26,520). — R. A. 1)yer.

Plate 854. — Fig. 1, flower enlarged, the whitish margins not showing

owing to the reflected colour from the keel ; 2, basal bract with tail ; 3, upper

bract ; 4, perianth-segment showing strongly reflexed margins and stamen

attached slightly above the base ; 5, gynaecium.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

M.E. Connell del.

Plate 855.

DIERAMA MEDIUM var. MOSSII.

Transvaal.

Iridaceae.

Dierama medium var. Mossii N.E. Br. in Journ. Royal Hort. Soc. Vol.

LIV, Part 1, 1929.

This variety differs from the species D. medium N. E. Br.

in having the bracts slightly larger and much whiter with only

very few line markings on them. It is found in places along

the Witwatersrand and in the Pretoria, Rustenburg, and

Waterberg districts. The specimen figured here flowered in

November in the garden of Mr. R. E. Foster at the Pasture

Research Station, Vereeniging. Mr. Foster had collected the

plants in Castle Gorge, Rustenburg district, where he found

them flowering in February. They grew in great quantities

along the sandy banks of the open stream, making a very

fine show. The flowers are a clear mallow-pink to mallow-

purple colour (R.C.S.), the darker shade being on the outer

segments of the perianth. These colours are very difficult to

reproduce, and the figure has not the same clear, bright

colouring of the living flower, which, together with the shiny

translucent white bracts and the delicate nodding movement,

make it a very attractive plant. The collector observes that

outside the zone of the Dieramas tall grasses, such as Azundi-

nella Ecklonii and a species of Miscanthidium, occurred, while

within, on the very edge of the stream, grew the blue Lobelia

decipiens and a small, delicate, white-flowered Utricularia.

The distinguishing features of Dierama medium var.

Mossii lie principally in the size of the plant, the size and colour

of the parts of the flower and the comparatively loose spike,

the “ tip of a bract usually not reaching the base of the second

bract above it ”. It is noteworthy that, on drying, the flowers

usually turn a deep-violet colour, quite a different shade from

the fresh flower.

Description : — Whole plant up to 75 cm. tall with the

inflorescence nodding, while the erect leaves reach to 45 cm.

above ground level. Corms light brown, about 2 cm. in

diameter, densely covered in fibrous tunics splitting into

bristles above. Leaves sheathing, distichous at the base ;

brown leaves of previous season’s growth present ; fresh leaves

3 to 4, with a fifth closely sheathing the stalk to the base of the

inflorescence; length of blades variable, some up to 45 cm.

long, 2-S-4-5 mm. wide ; the lower sheathing leaf with a free

point 3-5 cm. long, dorsally keeled and canaliculate on the

under surface; the upper with free point -5-1*5 cm. long,

usually brownish as are most of the leaf-tips. Stem slender

wiry, suberect, only slightly nodding above, 1-1-2 mm.

diameter where it emerges from the sheathing leaf, bearing

3-5 nodding secund spikes. Spikes 3- to 6-flowered, 4-8 cm.

long, borne on very slender nodding peduncles almost as long.

Cauline bracts membranous, whitish with brown line markings

giving them a yellowish appearance, linear-filiform, up to 3

cm. long, easily breaking off. Floral bracts white, chartaceous,

clearly several-nerved, and with only a very fewr brown line

markings along the mid-rib, 1-5 cm. long and about 5-5 mm.

wide, sometimes shortly bifid at the apex ; the bracteoles very

like the bracts, 1-5 cm. long and about 6 mm. wide, deeply

bifid. Perianth up to 2 cm. long, mallow-pink to mallow-

purple (R.C.S. Plate XII) ; tube 5-5 mm. long ; lobes from

1-2 to 1-5 cm. long; the upper inner lobe the longest. Stamens

reaching to beyond the middle of the lobes, inserted about

midway in the tube and decurrent for 3 mm. on tube; fila-

ments free for 6 mm. ; anthers 6 mm. long, purple. Ovary

green, 2-5 mm. long and 2 mm. diameter; style 1-5 cm. long,

branches 1-5 mm. long. (National Herbarium, Pretoria, No.

26,513). — I. C. Verdoorn.

Plate 855. — Fig. 1, whole plant; 2, bract; 3, bracteole; 4, flower

opened to show stamens and style.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

856

M.E. Connell del.

5

Plate 856.

VELLOZIA RETINERVIS.

Transvaal.

Velloziaceae.

Vellozia retinervis Baker in FI. Cap. vol. 6, p. 244; Greves in

Journ. Bot. vol. 59, p. 273 (1921).

The genus Vellozia exhibits several remarkable features.

These include the protection of the stem by a comparatively

thick layer of fibrous leaf-bases and the production within

this covering of an extensive root-system. These characters

are discussed by Marloth in vol. IV of his Plora of South Africa

(under the name Barbacenia retinervis). In her revision of

the Old-World species of the genus, Miss S. Greves paid par-

ticular attention to the surface hairs on the ovaries, and these

are seen to be of considerable diagnostic value. Other

workers have contributed to our knowledge of the group, but

there are several avenues of research, particularly in the field

of anatomy, which invite attention : for instance, the structure

of the persistent basal sheath and the upper portion, and the

transitional tissue between these parts. A considerable

amount of lignification of the leaf-bases takes place with age,

and this, being more or less non-inflammable, gives protec-

tion to the plant against the constantly recurring veld fires.

Species of Vellozia are seen to be restricted to comparatively

barren granite outcrops, on which, if they do support grass,

the feeding value of the veld for stock is poor.

A hillside covered with Vellozia retinervis in full flower

makes a remarkable sight. A “ full bloom ” effect, however,

is not a regular annual occurrence, and even when it does occur

it does not last much longer than a fortnight. The flowers

fade very soon after picking. This to a large measure explains

why it is that such an outstanding wild flower in the environs

of Pretoria has not been figured earlier in this work. The fine

material figured on this occasion was gathered near Pretoria

during October, 1941, by Miss P. Inglis.

The Burke and Zeyher specimens which were used by

Baker for his original description in the Journal of Botany,

1875 (under the name Xerophyta retinervis) were collected on

the Magaliesberg, possibly not many miles distant from Pre-

toria. Baker’s subsequent description in the Flora Capensis

states that the plant has a height of “ many feet Plants

of a species of Vellozia in the northern Transvaal do attain to

heights up to about 12 ft., but it is considered that they are

specifically distinct from Vellozia retinervis.

The fibrous stems of species of Vellozia are largely used in

native home-craft : for making brushes, mats, string, etc.,

and small blocks of the stems are used by Europeans as a sub-

stitute for scrubbing-brushes.

Description : — Plants usually about 30-40 cm. high,

occasionally up to about 1 m. high, rarely taller, unbranched

or with one or two stem-like branches. Stems 1-2 cm. in

diameter, covered with fibrous leaf-bases giving a total dia-

meter of 5-7 cm., producing branchlets from between the leaf-

bases and series of roots which find their way eventually into

the soil. Leaves from the apex of the stems about 7, up to

70 cm. long and 8 mm. broad, very gradually tapering, either

glabrous above or thinly scabrid, keeled on the under surface,

smooth or occasionally slightly scabrid on the margin; the

inner ones shorter and narrower as also those from the abbre-

viated shoots or branchlets; those from the stems with a

pseudo-articulation where the upper portion passes into the

persistent base which forms the fibrous scale covering to the

stem. Inflorescence of 1-5 flowers from the apex of the stems

or branchlets. Peduncles 1-flowered, up to 16 cm. tall, sub-

tended by membranous bracts as long or longer than the old

leaf-bases, terete or sometimes slightly angled, slender,

gradually thickened to 2*5-3 mm. below the ovary, with

ascending simple bristles appearing 1*5-2 cm. below the ovary

and becoming denser upwards. Bud 4*5-5 cm. long, triangular,

tapering. Flower pale mauve, sweetly scented. Perianth-

segments oblong-lanceolate, about 5 cm. long, 1*2 broad, with

the margins slightly folded upwards, spreading; the outer

segments being slightly broader than the inner ones, slightly

keeled below and with a few ascending bristles extending from

the ovary along about J of their length. Stamens with the

filaments united in the basal half for about 3 mm. into a tube

and fused like a disc with the base of the perianth-segments

and with 3 small descending cavities in the base of the tube

opposite the inner perianth-segments, the upper 3 mm. of the

filaments being broadly oblong and attached down the centre

of the back to the perianth-segments and with a short connec-

tive to the anthers about 2-5 mm. above the base of the latter;

the anthers about 2 cm. long, tapered and recurved at the

apex; those of the stamens opposite the outer perianth-

segments with the thecae subparallel along the inner face, and

those opposite the inner perianth-segments with the thecae

along their lateral margins. Ovary obtrusely triangular, about

7 mm. broad, covered with upright brown bristles; bristles

swollen at the base, subterete, simple or somewhat dorsally

flattened and bilobed or occasionally trilobed, usually with

one or two smaller lobes near the base. Style about 2’75 cm.

long, tapered to the apex, with 3 unequal slightly grooved and

minutely puberulous raised stimatic surfaces extending to

about 7 mm. from its base. (National Herbarium, Pretoria,

No. 26,519).— R. A. Dyer.

Plate 856. — Fig. 1, cross section of leaf; 2, part of fibrous leaf-base; 3,

bristle from ovary; 4, longitudinal section of flower with part of petals

removed; 5(a), filament and base of anther opposite outer perianth seg-

ment; 5(b), filament and base of anther opposite inner perianth-segment.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

85 7

M.E. Connell del.

Plate 857.

ERYTHROPHYSA TRANSVAALENSIS.

Transvaal.

Sapindaceae.

Erythrophysa transvaalensis Verdoorn sp. nov. ab E. alata (E & Z.)

Hutch, foliis majoribus, foliolis lanceolatis, facile distinguitur.

Arbor parva vel suffrutex deciduus. Caules graciles, circiter 4 m. alti.

Rami rubro-fusci, glabri, nitidi. Folia imparipinnata, 10-24 cm. longa,

versus apices ramulorum fastigiata ; rhachis alatus ; foliola 15-juga, opposita

vel subopposita, lanceolata, 2-7 cm. longa, 3-8 mm. lata, integerrima vel

nonnunquam basi inaequaliter lobata,- interdum petiolulis oblique alatis

instructa. Inflorescentia terminalis, paniculata floribus subsecundis ; brac-

teae deciduae, 4-14 mm. longae, plus minus obovatae, sparse pilosae et

glandulis rubris stipitatis indutae; pedicelli pilosi, circiter 6-9 mm. longi,

basi articulati. Flores polygami. Sepala imbricata, dorso sparse pilosa,

marginibus glandulis rubris stipitatis nonnunquam etiam dorso induta; 2

exteriora oblonga, 1-5 cm. longa, 1-2 cm. lata, viridia rubro suffusa; 3

interiora obovato-oblonga, 1-5 cm. longa, 1-4 cm. lata, saepe parte exteriora

rubro suffusa. Petala 4, ventraliter disposita, lactea vel rubro suffusa

unguiculata; unguis 1-2 cm. longus, pilosus, apice in appendices erectos

submalleiformos 1-5 mm. longos productos; lamina 5 mm. longa, patens,

oblonga, cordata, basi cum appendicibus conjuncta et nonnunquam etiam

appendiculata ; glandula solitaria, rubra, stipitata saepe sino appendicum

adest. Discus annularis, unilateralis, ventraliter produotus. Stamina 8,

declinata, ad 2-2 cm. longa; pollen viride. Ovarium stipitatum, papillosum.

Fructus submembranaceus, stipitatus, circiter 8 cm. longus, 5 cm. latus,

inflatus. Semina in loculis 1-2, globosa, leviter compressa, laevis, atro-

purpurea, 2-2 cm. diam.

Tkansvaal : Rustenburg, Boschpoort, norite koppie, Hards 70 ; Cur son

& Verdoorn in National Herbarium 26510 (Type) ; Thabazimbi, west slopes

near summit, van Rensburg <£• Dickinson in Nat. Herb., Pretoria, 26523 ;

Pillansberg, Curson in National Herbarium, 24079.

Until the present species of Erythrophysa came to light,

only 2 were known, 1 from Namaqualand and the other from

Madagascar. The Namaqualand species was the first to be

described just about 100 years ago, and it has an interesting

history. On a specimen collected by Dr&ge, one of the

“ lynx-eyed trio ” who collected so extensively in South Africa

early in the 19th century, the genus Erythrophysa was founded.

The word means “ red bag ”, and refers to the red inflated

fruits. It was published with the specific name Erythrophysa

undulata E. Mey, in 1843. In 1932, when Dr. J. Hutchinson

of Kew w^as identifying the drawings from the Simon van der

Stel Journal for Professor Waterhouse of Trinity College,

Dublin, he found that one of them represented E. undulata.

In connection with that he made a further discovery. He

found that the leafy specimen collected by Ecklon and Zeyher

(the other two of the trio mentioned above), and described by

them as Fagara alata in 1841, agreed exactly with the leaves of

E. undulata, and that these two names were synonymous. F.

alata was the earlier description, but the specimen had been

placed in quite the wrong genus and family. Dr. Hutchinson

published these findings in the Kew Bulletin 1932, and also

the correct name according to international rules, which is

Erythrophysa alata (E. Mey.) Hutch.

The Madagascar species, E. aesculina, was published in

1873-76, and all that is known of it to the writer is that its

flowers are smaller than those of E. alata.

In this genus of unusual character and with no near relative

in Africa the species from the Transvaal described here is the

most striking. It was first sent to the National Herbarium,

Pretoria, among other pressed specimens, by an amateur

collector, Mr. V. K. Hards. He had found it in the Rusten-

burg district, and had recorded that the seeds were used by

the native women as beads. Next a fruiting specimen was

sent in by Dr. H. H. Curson of the Department of Native

Affairs, said to be from the Pillansberg. Through the kind

assistance of the Department of Native Affairs and with the

information on Mr. Hard’s label, the writer, accompanied by

Dr. Curson, was able to study the plant in its natural habitat

during the flowering season. At the same time fresh material

was collected, from which the accompanying plate was pre-

pared.

The plants were located on the very steep and rocky slopes

of a norite hill to the north of Rustenburg. Slender, reddish-

brown stems arising under huge boulders and growing to a

height of 6-12 ft., terminated either in a plume of graceful

compound leaves or an erect panicle of red and green flowers

with or without a few young leaves subtending it. At the

base of some of the panicles were hanging the decorative,

inflated fruits. These, like the flowers, were pale green,

suffused in part or entirely with dark red. Only 3 such shrubs

were seen on this hill.

Description : — Shrub or small tree, deciduous. Stems

slender, up to 12 ft. tall. Branches reddish-brown, smooth,

shiny, alternate or occasionally subverticillate. Leaves impa-

ripinnate, 10-24 cm. long, glabrous, appearing at ends of bran-

ches on new growth only; rhachis winged, with the wings

about 2 mm. wide; leaflets about 15 pairs 1-2 cm. apart,

subopposite or opposite, lanceolate, 2-7 cm. long, 3-8 mm.

wide, entire or occasionally some unequally lobed near the

base, sometimes narrowed into an oblique winged petiolule.

Inflorescence paniculate, terminal, leafless or with a few leaves

at the base; peduncles divaricate, up to 3 cm. long, thinly

patently hairy, with the flowers more or less secund; bracts

early deciduous, variable in size, 4-14 mm. long, somewhat

obovate, rounded at the apex or abruptly acuminate, thinly

pilose and with red-stalked glands round the margin and a few

glands sometimes scattered on both surfaces; pedicels pilose,

about 6-9 mm. long, jointed near the base, those of the male

flowers early deciduous at the joint, leaving a conspicuous

dark-red circular scar. Flowers polygamous. Sepals 5, imbri-

cate, thinly pilose dorsally, with red clavate glands on the

margins and a few scattered glands on the dorsal surface;

two outer sepals green suffused with red, oblong, 1*5 cm. long

and 1*2 cm. broad; 3 inner obovate-oblong, 1*5 cm. long and

up to 1-4 cm. broad, exposed surface only usually suffused

with red. Petals 4, adaxially arranged, cream or greenish,

sometimes entirely suffused with red, with a pilose claw 1-2

cm. long, produced at the apex into 2 erect, somewhat hammer-

shaped appendages 1-5 mm. long and expanded into a spread-

ing oblong, cordate petaloid lamina 5 mm. long, the basal

lobes of which are partly fused with the appendages and some-

times themselves producing small appendages, pilose dorsally

and with a stalked red gland usually present in the sinus of the

appendages. Disc unilateral, produced adaxially. Stamens

8, decimate ; the adaxial ones inserted on the produced disc ;

filaments in male flowers up to 2-2 cm. long, pilose ; anthers

dorsifixed, 1-5 mm. long; pollen green. Ovary stalked,

papillose, 3-angled, 3-chambered; style simple, 3-angled at

the base ; ovules 2 in each chamber. Fruit inflated, strongly

3-angled, about 8 cm. long and 5 cm. in diameter, stalked at the

base (stalk about 2 cm. long) with the style usually persisting

at the apex as a mucro 1-7 cm. long. Seeds 1-2 in each loculus,

globose, slightly compressed, smooth, blackish-purple, 2*2 cm.

in diameter. — I. C. Verdoorn.

Plate 857. — Fig. 1, floral bracts; 2, outer sepal; 3, front and side view

of petal ; 4, flower with calyx removed to show arrangement and relation-

ship of petals, stamens and disc ; 5, cross-section of fruit showing seeds.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

858

M.E Connell del.

Plate 858.

URGINEA DELAGOENSIS.

Transvaal, Swaziland , Zululand, Portuguese East

Africa.

Urginea delagoensis Baker in FI. Cap. vol. 6, p. 467 (1897).

Few species of Urginea could be regarded as of horticultural

value, since the flowers are usually small and are not attrac-

tively coloured. As mentioned previously in these pages,

however, several species are of importance to the stock farmer

because of their poisonous properties, as for example U .

lydenburgensis, which appears on the following plate. Bulbs

of the present species, when used in the pre-flowering stage in

toxicity tests at the Division of Veterinary Services Onder-

stepoort, gave negative results. It is used by natives in medi-

cine and for the preservation of animal skins, particularly

against destruction by dogs. Father J. Gerstner records the

native name “ isiKlenama ”, and Mr. H. B. Uys the common

name “ Wilde Jeukui

Until now, U. delagoensis has been known only from the

type specimen collected by Dr. H. Bolus and described by

Baker in the Flora Capensis 1897. Baker described the

species from a pressed specimen with an incomplete bulb.

This accounts for some of the deficiencies in the description

and the consequent failure to record the species again during

the past 40 odd years. The correct identity of the plant

figured here was established by a comparison with the type

specimen kindly forwarded on loan from the Bolus Herbarium.

It was found that the bulb described by Baker as “ oblong-

cylindrical ” is merely the central core of a large bulb and gives

a false impression. Further, the leaves show definite evidence

of having been channelled down the upper surface in the fresh

state, which is a characteristic feature of the figured specimen.

Baker’s description of the capsule as oblong-clavate is also

misleading, since it is narrowly elliptic-oblong in outline, being

9-10 mm. long and 3-4 mm. broad about the middle and

slightly narrowed to both ends.

The main distinguishing features of U. delagoensis are in the

bulbs and leaves. The Bulbs grow somewhat above ground,

usually splitting into colonies of 3-5, and are composed of

relatively loosely packed thick outer scales surrounding a

compact central core. The leaves are produced before

flowering and wither gradually from the tips, and only the

basal portions may remain by the flowering stage, those from

mature bulbs being strongly canaliculate on the upper surface.

Records in the National Herbarium, Pretoria, show that U.

delagoensis occurs in Zululand, Swaziland and near Nelspruit

in the Transvaal, as well as in Portuguese East Africa, where

the type was collected by Bolus “ in scrub bush between

Delagoa Bay and the Lebombo Mountains ”.

Description : — Bulb somewhat exposed above ground, variable in size,

4-10 cm. in diameter, solitary or dividing into clumps of 3-5 or sometimes

more, composed of rather loosely packed thick fleshy scales; scales dark

olive-green with reddish-brown-tinged, membranous tips and pink flesh.

Leaves glaucous-green, 3-4 from each bulb, produced before the inflores-

cence, linear, up to 45 cm. long, 0-8-1 -5 cm. broad, erect-spreading, usually

the tips or greater portion withering before flowering, deeply canaliculate

along the upper surface, rounded on the under surface ; the young leaves and

leaves from young bulbs sometimes filiform-linear, 2 mm. broad, concave or

nearly flat on the upper surface. Peduncle terete, glaucous, up to about

45 cm., occasionally up to 60 cm. tall, 3 mm. diameter, about 30 cm. up to the

base of the inflorescence. Bracts at the base of the inflorescence about 2 mm.

long, with spurs 3-5-4 mm. long, concave, soon deciduous ; the upper bracts

up to 3-5 mm. long, the spur becoming obsolete. Pedicels about 5 mm. long.

Corolla 5-6 cm. long, with a very short tube and the basal J of the perianth-

segments forming a short cup-like base ; the perianth-segments whitish with

pinkish-brown keels, spreading in the upper §, concave towards the tips.

Filaments attached to the perianth slightly above the base of the tube,

linear or slightly swollen above, £ the length of the perianth. Ovary sub-

globose, 2 mm. long, 6-grooved ; style narrowly cylindric, slightly longer than

the ovary ; stigma narrower than the style, minutely 3-lobed and minutely

papillose. (National Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 26,516). — R. A. Dyer.

Plate 858. — Fig. 1 , cross-section of leaf ; 2, basal bract ; 3, upper bract ;

4, flower much enlarged ; 5, perianth-segment with stamen ; 6, gynaecium.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

8- 5.9

Plate 859.

URGINEA LYDENBURGENSIS.

Transvaal.

Urginea lydenburgensis R. A. Dyer, sp. nov. affinis U. ubom-

boensi bulbo foliisque dlffert.

Bulbus subpyriformis, subterraneus, usque ad 10 cm. altus, 8 cm. crassus,

solitarius vel 3 divisus, compactus, squamis crassis rubicundis apicem versus

membranaceis plus minusve costatis. Folia 1-2, glauco-viridia, usque ad

45 cm. longa, 3-5 mm. crassa, subteretia vel supra plana vel nonnunquam

leviter concava, ab apice marscentia. Pedunculus glaucus, usque 30-50 cm.

altus, 3 mm. crassus. Bracteae basi inflorescentiae circiter 1-2 mm. longae,

mox deciduae, calcare usque 5 mm. longo; superiores calcare obsoleto.

Pedicelli circiter 5 mm. longi. Corolla 5-6 cm. longa, tubo brevissimo seg-

ments infra medium patentibus. Ovarium subglobosum, 2 mm. longum;

stylus anguste cylindricus, 3 mm. longus ; stigma minutissime papillosum.

Transvaal : Lydenburg district, Swart in National Herbarium, Pretoria.

No. 23303.

On the preceding plate Urginea delagoensis Baker was

figured. It is the nearest affinity of the species described here

for the first time. The differences lie in the bulb and leaves.

The bulb of U. lydenburgensis conforms closer to the generally

accepted idea of a bulb, whereas those of U. delagoensis are

more distinctive, as will be seen from the illustration. The

membranous apex of the bulb-scales of U. lydenburgensis

shows a transverse ribbing, while those of the other species

have a wrinkled sun-scorched appearance. In addition, there

are usually fewer leaves to each bulb-eye, and the shape of the

leaves is also different.

U. lydenburgensis came under suspicion as a poisonous

plant in 1937, when it was forwarded to the Division of

Veterinary Services, Onderstepoort, by Mr. H. J. Swart.

Tests showed that the plant is definitely toxic, and the results

were published in 1939 in the Onderstepoort Journal (vol. 12,

p. 359). The species has not been identified from any other

area but the Lydenburg district.

Description : — Bulb somewhat pyriform, up to 10 cm.

tall and 8 cm. diameter, solitary or dividing into tight clusters

of about 3 leaf -bearing eyes, composed of several tightly fitting

thick scales and partly covered by the membranous remains of

old scales ; scales pink, with transversely ribbed membranous

tips. Leaves 1-2 from each bulb or each eye of a dividing

bulb, produced before the inflorescence, glaucous green, sub-

terete, slightly flattened along the adaxial surface or occasion-

ally slightly grooved, up to 45 cm. long, 3-5 mm. thick,

withering gradually from the tips ; the basal green portion of

old leaves rarely up to 30 cm. long, sometimes almost withered

to the base at the time of flowering. Peduncle glaucous, sub-

terete, firm, 30-50 cm. tall, 20-30 long below the raceme and

about 3 mm. thick. Raceme 10-20 cm. long, moderately

dense. Bracts ovate ; the lowest one or two with spurs up to

5 mm. long, very soon falling; the upper ones with much-

reduced or almost obsolete spurs. Pedicels about 5 mm. long,

spreading. Corolla 6-7 mm. long, with a very short tube, the

basal portion of the perianth-segments forming a short cup-

like base ; the perianth-segments spreading from below the

middle, whitish with green keel, oblong, 6-7 mm. long, 2-5 mm.

broad. Filaments attached to the base of the perianth, linear,

slightly shorter than the perianth-segments. Ovary subglo-

f hose, 2 mm. long, 6-grooved ; style narrowly cylindric, 3 mm.

long with a tuft of minute hairs at the apex. — R. A. Dyer.

Plate 859. — Fig. 1, cross-section of leaf; 2, basal bract; 3, flower much

enlarged; 4, perianth-segment with stamen ; 5, gynaecium.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

860

M.E. Connell del.

Plate 860.

ACACIA MELLEI.

Transvaal, Bechuanaland.

Leguminosae.

Acacia Mellei Verdoom, sp. nov. ab A. caffra, foliis brevioribus, spicis

solitariis brevioribusque, spinis majoribus, leguminibus brevioribus

latioribusque differt.

Arbor 4-10 m. alta. Rami adscendentes, rufescentes vel cinereo-

glaucescentes, valde spinescentes ; ramuli novelli dense cinereo-pubescentes.

Spinae stipulares, atrae, 8 mm. longae, valde uncinatae. Folia bipinnata, c.

8 cm. longa, 5 cm. lata, pubescentia, pilis diaphanis et pilis minutis glandu-

losis rubris instructa ; petioli 8-10 mm. longi, glandula elevata supra medium

instructi ; rhachides nonnunquam dorso aculeati, supra apicem versus inter

pinnas glandulosi; pinnae 8-11-jugae, 2-3 cm. longae; foliola 28-34-juga,

1 mm. distantia, lineari-oblonga, apice rotundata, basi inaequilateralia,

circiter 4 mm. longa, 0-7-1 mm. lata, ciliata nonnumquam dorso proparte

pubescentia. Spicae solitariae, axillares, plerumque folia breviores, c. 5 cm.

longae ; pedunculi pubescentes, 8-12 mm. longi. Flores sessiles, ochroleuci.

Calyx campanulatus, dense pubescens, 3 mm. longus, 5-dentatus ; dentibus

obtusis 1 mm. longis. Corolla 4 mm. longa; tubus 2-5 mm. longus; lobi

1-5 mm. longi, dorso obscure pubescentes. Stamina numerosa, 6 mm. longa.

Ovarium cinereo-pubescens, 1-5 mm. longum; stylus filiformis, 6 mm.

longus. Legumen brunneum, cinereo-pubescens, lineare vel lineari-oblongum,

4-9 cm. longum, 1-2-2 cm. latum, planum, apice acuminatum vel nonnun-

quam obtusum, basi obtusum, margine plus minusve undulatum vel

irregulariter 1-vel 2-constrictum.

Transvaal : Zwartkop, 6 miles South of Pretoria Melle in Nat. Herb.,

Pretoria, No. 26514 (type) ; Brits, west of Pretoria, Phillips ds Mogg 14647 ;

Zwartruggens, Sutton 908, 908a, 1133 and 1133a; Ventersdorp, Pole Evans

3127, Sutton 635 ; Marico, Louw 604, Pole Evans 2211.

Bechuanaland : Lobatsi, Pole Evans 3152.

The specimen figured here was taken from one of a group

of trees growing on the farm of Mr. H. A. Melle at Zwartkop,

about 6 miles south of Pretoria. Mr. Melle studied these trees

over a period of years, and has pointed out how they differ

from those of Acacia caffra, with which the species has been

confused. Acacia Mellei occurs only along the strip of dolo-

mite that crosses the farm, and A . caffra, which is not associated

with it here, grows plentifully on other parts of the farm. In

the National Herbarium are several specimens, hitherto

unnamed or wrongly identified, which compare very well with

Mr. Melle’ s specimens and obviously belong to the same

species. Most of the localities at which they were collected

fall in the dolomite formation marked on geological maps.

Two localities, Zwartruggens and Brits, are not in this general

band of dolomite, but on the specimen from Brits the collec-

tor’s note reads “ in grassland over dolomite ”. It would

seem, therefore, that the species is usually associated with

dolomite. Besides this difference in habitat, A. Mellei has a

later flowering period than A. caffra. It differs, too, in the

shape of the tree, having the branches, leaves and catkins

straighter and more erect than those of A. caffra and the

general colour of the tree much more grey-green. The most

obvious differences in pressed specimens are the shorter leaves

and the large strongly hooked thorns. The new growth is

densely pubescent, and in this it resembles A. caffra var.

tomentosa, but this variety has the same long leaves of the

species, and the catkins are in panicles at the ends of the

branches or several growing together in the axil of the leaves

— not solitary as in our species. From Acacia ataxacantha,

another related species, it is easily distinguished by the spines,

which are not scattered between the nodes, but are strictly in

pairs, and subtend leaves or branches, although about 5 mm.

distant from the base of the growth subtended. A. ataxa-

cantha also differs in being semi-scandent and having reddish

chartaceous pods. Acacia eriadenia, one of the names that has

wrongly been applied to our species, is now known to be a

synonym of A. ataxacantha. From most other species of

Acacia occurring in the Transvaal which have their flowers in

catkins, our species is easily distinguished by the leaflets being

smaller and more numerous. In South-West Africa the species

Acacia hereroensis approaches it, but in this case the leaflets

are smaller than those of A. Mellei , and also the spines and

pods are smaller. Two characters which may easily be over-

looked in our species are, firstly, the tendency of some leaves

to a spiny rhachis — small straight yellow spines occurring

irregularly on the rhachis of some of the leaves — and, secondly,

the presence of minute red glandular hairs scattered among the

long whitish translucent hairs. The latter character is shared

with A. caffra, but does not appear to have been mentioned

previously.

Description : — Tree 12-30 ft. tall. Branches ascending,

reddish-brown, but with a greyish appearance in parts, very

spiny, all new growth densely greyish pubescent. Spines in

pairs, about 5 mm. below the base of the leaf or branch they

subtend, more or less 8 mm. long, blackish, strongly hooked

and very sharp. Leaves bipinnate, about 8 cm. long and 5 cm.

wide, pubescent with translucent hairs interspersed with

minute red glandular hairs; petiole 8-10 mm. long, with

a raised gland near the apex ; rhachis often dorsally aculeate ;

pinnae usually in 8-11 pairs, 2-3 cm. long and about 6 mm.

apart, the three upper pairs usually with a gland between

them ; leaflets usually 28-34 pairs, about 1 mm. apart, linear-

oblong, rounded at apex and unequal-sided at base, about

4 mm. long and *7-1 mm. wide, ciliate with translucent hairs

with some hairs also on the dorsal exposed surface. Spikes

axillary, solitary, usually shorter than the leaves, about 5 cm.

long; peduncles pubescent, 8-12 mm. long. Flowers sessile,

pale yellow. Calyx campanulate, up to 3 mm. long, densely

pubescent, 5-lobed, with the lobes obtuse and 1 mm. long.

Corolla 4 mm. long; tube 2-5 mm. long; lobes 1-5 mm. long

and thinly pubescent dorsally. Stamens numerous, 6 mm.

long. Ovary softly grey-pubescent, 1-5 mm. long; style 6

mm. long. Legume brown or light brown with grey pubes-

cence, linear to oblong-linear, 4-9 cm. long, D2-2 cm. broad,

cuneate at both ends, sometimes obtuse at the apex, flat,

margins sometimes faintly undulate and irregularly once or

twice constricted. — I. C. Verdoorn.

Plate 860. — Fig. 1, petiole showing the gland; 2, leaflets ; 3, flower ; 4,

stigma, style and ovary ; 5, pod of previous season.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

M.E. Connell del.

Plate 861.

CHLOROPHYTUM LONGIPEDUNCULATUM.

Transvaal.

Liliaceae.

Chlorophytum longipedunculatum H. Forbes in Bothalia vol. IV. (1941).

This giant species of Chlorophytum was found by Dr.

I. B. Pole Evans, C.M.G., in hilly country near Sabie in the

Pilgrims Rest district. The plants, which are about 6| ft.

high, form large clumps which rapidly increase in size and

produce many closely packed flowering stalks. The root-

stock, which is thick and fibrous, bears numerous cylindric

roots. An interesting feature of the decurrent long bracts

is their tendency to tear at the base, as shown in the figure.

It would seem that this is caused by the rapid growth of the

peduncle.

The flowers develop successively, so that in each cluster

only about one is open at a time, the segments spreading

from the base and exposing the erect stamens with connivent

anthers. Through the translucent linear filaments the green

ovary in the centre can be seen, and from its apex the white

style protrudes, growing horizontally, but with the apex

turning up. The flowers close in the evening, and in this

state they look very like snowdrops, having the same white

perianth tipped with green. The oblong, green-tipped buds,

owing to the different stages of development, vary much in

size, and, like the closed flowers, they are suberect.

Description : — Plants forming dense growths several feet

in diameter. Rootstock thick, fibrous, about 12 cm. thick

from top to bottom (width depending on age of clump but

up to several feet wide), bearing many cylindric roots. Leaves

at the base of each flower-stalk from 7 to 17, up to 1 m. long

or a little longer and 10 cm. broad, flaccid, dark, shiny green

above, somewhat glaucous beneath. Inflorescence about 2-1

metres tall; peduncle up to 2-5 cm. diameter at the base,

of the same green colour as the leaves, unbranched for over

1 m. of its length ; lateral branches 1 to 3, up to 45 cm. long ;

bracts subtending the branches about 12 cm. long, 2 cm. wide,

decurrent on the stem; the lower bracts subtending the

flower clusters up to 8 cm. long, 0-8 cm. wide; the upper

progressively smaller, soon withering. Flowers usually 3 to

6 in a cluster, developing successively ; pedicel up to

1 cm. long, articulated in the middle (the upper portion

whiter and thicker than the lower). Perianth white; seg-

ments up to about 1-6 cm. long, 6 mm. wide; the outer

green-tipped. Stamens about half the length of the perianth;

filaments white, linear; anthers erect, connivent about

3 mm. long. Ovary 3-angled; style white, about 14 mm.

long, growing horizontally with the apex erect. Seeds

discoid, about 3 in each loculus, with the dorsal margins

fitting in the acute angle of the fruit. (National Herbarium,

Pretoria, No. 26,527.) — I. C. Verdoorn.

Plate 861. — Fig. 1, open flower, showing style growing horizontally

■with upturned apex ; 2, young fruit.

F.P S.A., 1942.

S62

C.letty del.

Plate 862.

LEUCADENDRON DISCOLOR.

Cape Province.

Proteaceae.

Leucadendron discolor Buek in Drege, Zwei Pfl. Documente, p. 198

(partly); FI. Cap. vol. 5, sect. 1, p. 544 (1912).

The specimen from which the accompanying plate was

prepared was collected by Dr. I. B. Pole Evans, C.M.G.,

near Piquetberg in October, 1929. So far as we know, the

species is confined to the Piquetberg, Cape, Caledon, and

Swellendam districts of the Cape Province. It was first

collected near Piquetberg by Drege about a century ago.

The late Dr. R. Marloth (Marloth 6243) also collected a

specimen in the same locality in October, 1924. He describes

the young male inflorescence as brilliant carmine and the

floral leaves a pure yellow; the floral leaves of the female

head also yellow, but mostly flushed with green. The plants

belonging to this species, while so conspicuous, appear to

have been overlooked by most recent collectors, as Drege’s

specimen is the only one recorded in the Flora Capensis and

only a mature female plant is described. The following

description of a male plant appears for the first time.

Description : — Branches brown, glabrous ; the three

ultimate branches bearing the inflorescence light yellow and

arising from the base of the previous year’s inflorescence.

Leaves coriaceous, 2-2*5 cm. long, 0*8-1 *2 cm. broad, obovate,

somewhat narrowed to a broad base, obtuse, with an apical

tuft of hairs, otherwise glabrous; leaves surrounding the

remains of the old inflorescences up to 4 cm. long, 2 cm.

broad, elliptic, glabrous; leaves on the youngest branches

smaller than those on the older branches. Male heads sur-

rounded by an involucre of yellow leaves ; the whole forming

an “ inflorescence ” 5 cm. in diameter. Heads sessile, 2*8 cm.

long, 2 cm. in diameter, sub-globose ; receptacle 1 cm. diameter,

clavate. Bracts subtending the flowers fleshy, 1-75 mm.

long, ovate-oblong, obtuse, long-villous on the back. Perianth

7-5 mm. long, before splitting cylindric, slightly swollen at

the base, with a tuft of long white hairs at the base, other-

wise glabrous; segments linear; limb 2 mm. long, elliptic,

obtuse. Anthers slightly shorter than the limb. Style 5-5 mm.

long, terete, narrowing from the base upwards ; stigma 1-5 mm.

long, ellipsoid. Squamae 1*25 mm. long, linear. (National

Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 8287.) — E. P. Phillips.

Plate 862. — Fig. 1, longitudinal section of receptacle; 2, a single

flower bud with the subtending bract; 3, an open flower.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

S 63

M.E. Connell del.

Plate 863.

EUPHORBIA STOLONIFERA.

Cape Province.

Euphohbiaceae.

Euphorbia stolonifera Marl, in Journ. Bot. Soc. S. Afr. 15, p. 21 (1929) ;

White, Dyer & Sloane, The Succulent Euphorbieae, vol. 1, p. 121 (1941).

The similarity between this comparatively rare species

and the common, widely distributed species E. mauritanica L.

is decidedly confusing until the essential differences are

understood. The difference most readily observed is in the

root system. E. mauritanica has a single root system,

whereas, as the name indicates, the main root system of

E. stolonifera gives off rooting stems, which in turn give off

secondary root systems. These are usually underground

stems or rhizomes in E. stolonifera, and may be short or up

to several inches long, depending on the texture of the soil

in which the plants are growing. Specimens growing on the

mountain slopes between Ladismith and Barrydale are

appreciably more robust than those on the open rocky veld

in the neighbourhood of Matjesfontein. The relationship

and main features of the two species referred to above have

been discussed fully in the recent publication, The Succulent

Euphorbieae, 1941. In fact, the specimen used for the

accompanying illustration was grown at the Division of

Botany and Plant Pathology from the plant which appears

in figures 105 and 106 of that work.

Description : — A succulent shrublet 20-60 cm. high,

producing 1 to several rhizomes, which give rise to additional

clumps of branches. Branches subcylindric, 5-9 mm. thick,

often thickest about the middle, simple or occasionally with

secondary branches, somewhat glaucous-green, rarely reddish.

Leaves about 5 mm. long, ovate, acute, soon deciduous.

Inflorescence terminal, consisting of a subsessile male cyathium

surrounded by 5-8 cyme-branches, each bearing a single

bisexual cyatbium ; involucre cup-shaped ; in the male

cyathium about 9 mm. in diameter including the glands,

with 5 subquadrate ciliate lobes and 5 or occasionally 8 or

10 glands; in the bisexual cyathia 5-7 mm. diameter with

5 or rarely 4 glands; glands green with a yellowish tinge,

separate or contiguous, suborbicular, with the outer margin

truncate, slightly notched or entire. Ovary obtusely 3-angled,

pedicellate; the pedicel twice as long as the ovary or longer

in cultivation. Styles 2-2-5 mm. long, united into a column

at the base for a third of their length, free above; the free

portion at first spreading slightly, later connivent, with bifid

tips. Capsule 5 mm. when nearly mature; seed somewhat

oval, 2-5 mm. long, with an apicle caruncle as in E. viauri-

tanica L. (National Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 26,479.) —

R. A. Dyer.

Plate 863. — Fig. 1, enlarged drawing of bisexual cyathium with half-

mature capsule.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

S64-

M.E- Connell del

Plate 864.

SCILLA GALPINI.

Transvaal.

Liliaceae.

Scilla Galpini Baker in Flora Capensis vol. 6, p. 487, 1897.

This species appears to be limited to the mountainsides

near Kaapsche Hoop, eastern Transvaal, where there is a

high annual rainfall and frequent mists. It is related by the

verrucose surfaces of its leaves to a larger, and as yet un-

described species, found on the mountains of the eastern

Free State and Basutoland, and to S. rupestris F. van der

Merwe, from the mountains near Sabie. S. Galpini belongs

to the water-loving group of the subgenus Ledebouria ex-

emplified by S. saturata Baker. They are characterised by

the absence of a distinct disc-like widening round the base

of the ovary, by flowers more often rose-purple than purple,

and by perianth-segments, which form a cup-like base and

then recurve only partially — three characteristics not found

in other species from drier localities. This little species,

besides the wrinkled upper surface of its green to purple-

black leaves and its small raceme of rose-pink flowers, is

rendered attractive by the bright red cluster of ripening

fruits after it has finished flowering. As in other species,

the perianth-segments are persistent.

Description : — Bulb whitish, subglobose, sometimes bud-

ding from the base, 1-3 cm. in diameter, with a short neck,

covered with the dry membranous remains of 2-3 scales and

with a disc-like basal butt. Leaves 2-4, developing with the

inflorescences, often up to 4, rarely 8 cm. long, up to 2, rarely

2-5 cm. broad, ovate-oblong to spathulate-oblong, sessile,

mucronate by the infolding of the leaf-margin at the apex,

spreading, and often flat on ground; lower surface minutely

pustulate, dark green with a conspicuous purplish sheen,

transversely purple banded and spotted towards the base;

upper surface dark green, with a purplish tinge, rugose.

Inflorescences 1-3 from each bulb, spreading or suberect, as

long or slightly longer than the leaves ; the peduncle purplish

to about 5 cm. below the raceme. Racemes dense, usually

20-30-flowered, 1-2 cm. long and about the same width.

Pedicels 5-6 mm. long, subtended by a minute 2-pointed

fleshy bract or by a small bract with a laterally placed

bracteole; the lowest bracts oblong, truncate-emarginate ;

the upper ones more or less oblong-lanceolate. Perianth-

segments soft rose pink to purple with a light green mid vein

on the under surface, 4-5 mm. long, 2 mm. broad, oblong,

forming a very shallow cup round the base of the ovary,

thence widely spreading. Filaments deep rose pink to

purple above the middle, slightly shorter than the perianth.

Ovary subglobose, obtusely 3-lobed and each carpel being

slightly grooved down the back, very shortly stipitate and

not disc-like at the base; style purple, slightly longer than

the ovary, 3-grooved. (National Herbarium, Pretoria, No.

26,524.) — F. Z. van der Merwe.

Plate 864. — Fig. 1, tip of leaf, showing upper surface and mucronate

apex ; 2, portion of peduncle showing bracts, bracteoles and pedicels ;

3, perianth-segment and stamen ; 4, gynaecium.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

S65

Plate 865.

SCILLA NEGLECTA.

Transvaal , Orange Free State, Natal, Cape Province.

Liliaceae.

Scilla neglecta F. van der Merwe sp. nov., ab aliis in sectione Ledebouria

colle bulbi elongata, foliis semi-fibrosis erectis saepe distincte transverse et

longitudinaliter pictis, inflorescentiis pluribus decumbentibus, difFert.

Bulbus infra caule dis coidea provisus, ca. 5 cm. diametro et 7 cm. longi-

tudine, in collo ca. 10 cm. longo elongatus. Folia ca. 10, erecta, semi-

fibrosa, marginibus angustis dentatis apicibus sensim tortis, saepe transverse

et longitudinaliter striatis, post inflorescentia ad 25 cm. longa et basin

versus 3 cm. lata. Racemi ad 10, deinde recumbentes, ca. 100-flori, floribus

obscure purpureis ; segmenta ca. 5 mm. longa et 1-5 mm. lata, basin versus

erecta poculum formantia dein valde recurva. Antherae erectae, purpureae.

Ovarium basin versus discoideo-ampliatum, stylo antheris aequante.

Transvaal : — Pietersburg district ; van der Merwe, 2304 ; Pretoria

district ; Colbyn suburb of Pretoria, van der Merwe in National Herbarium,

26,803 (type) : Natal : — Vryheid district; near Vryheid, van der Merwe,

2396 : Cape Province Aliwal North district ; van der Merwe, 2147.

This distinct species, with minor variations, is plentiful

in many parts of the Transvaal, Orange Free State, Natal,

and Cape Province, and it seems strange that it has apparently

not been previously described. Its nearest affinity is S.

exigua Baker from near Camperdown, Natal, from which it

differs in size and number of racemes. It belongs to the

subgenus Ledebouria, from the other species of which it is

distinguished by the almost invariably elongated neck to

its bulb, by the semi-rigid character of its leaves (often with

a narrow fibrous slightly serrate margin), which persist after

drying, and by the large number of decumbent racemes.

The flowers of plants from the Transvaal are rather insig-

nificant ; those from farther south (Lady Grey, Aliwal North)

have a wide middle band of maroon-purple on each perianth-

segment, such as is found in S. moschata Schonl. and other

Cape species, rendering them more attractive. In addition.

the marking on the leaves is usually very characteristic :

transverse green or purple bands of varying width, resembling

coalescing spots, and narrow longitudinal dark green stripes.

Finally, the bulb usually has a persistent disc-shaped butt.

The plants usually grow singly, and show no tendency to

form compact colonies.

Scilla neglecta belongs to the group which inhabits drier

areas than the saturata group, and the ovary has a disc-

shaped widening round its base, while the segments, after

forming a deep cup round the ovary, have their extremities

completely recurved, and the anthers are as long as the

segments.

Description : — Bulb oblong-globose, about 5 cm. in diameter and

6 cm. long, plus a neck of up to 7 cm. long and 2 cm. in diameter, both

covered by dried leaves; a persistent disc-shaped stem present below,

from the sides of which the roots emerge. Leaves about 10, erect, only

2 to 5 cm. long at time of flowering, later up to 25 cm. long and 2-3 cm.

wide at the base, lanceolate, gradually narrowing to a sharp point, fibrous,

with thickened longitudinal veins and usually with a narrow finely-serrate

margin, the points of the leaves often partly curved cork-screw- wise ; mark-

ings on leaves usually very characteristic, especially on the underside at

base ; cross lines consisting of confluent green or purplish blotches, with

narrow longitudinal veins of dark green or purple. Inflorescence up to

10 racemes, recumbent when in flower; axis below raceme up to 5 cm.

long ; raceme about 5 cm. long and 2 cm. in diameter, consisting of about

100 flowers, all usually bent downwards after opening. Pedicel about 1 cm.

long, subtended by two small narrow elongated fibrous bracts. Perianth-

segments pale maroon, with whitish margins, and a green middle vein on

the under surface, about 5 mm. long and H mm. wide, forming a narrow

cup round the ovary at their base, while the upper half of each is strongly

recurved on itself. Stamens erect, deep purple, as long as the perianth-

segments ; anthers yellow when in pollen. Ovary hexagonal in cross section,

with a disc-like widening round its base, consists of three segments, each

divided into two by a deep vertical groove; style whitish-purple, pointed,

about as long as anther.

Plate 865. — Fig. 1, portion of scape with bracts and base of pedicels;

2, perianth-segment with stamen ; 3, gynaecium ; 4, mature leaf from a

plant collected at Tzaneen, Transvaal (F. van der Merwe 2304) showing

the characteristic transverse marking at the base of the under surface of

the leaf.

F.P.S.A., 1942

866

Plate 866.

KNIPHOFIA RIVULARIS.

Transvaal.

Liliaceae.

Kniphofia rivularis Berger in Engl. Pflanzenr. 4, 38, p. 55 (1908).

Existing records indicate that Kniphofia rivularis Berger

is present in marshy ground in several districts of the Trans-

vaal. These are from the Marico district in the west to the

Middelburg and Lydenburg districts in the east. Moreover,

it is not unlikely that its distribution extends beyond into

Natal and the north-eastern parts of the Orange Free State.

The figured specimen was collected by Dr. I. B. Pole Evans,

C.M.G., in the Rietvlei catchment area of the Pretoria district

in December, 1941. Modderfontein, where Conrath collected

the type specimen in October, 1898, is relatively nearby.

The later flowering period in the present instance was almost

certainly due to the abnormally dry weather in the latter

half of 1940.

Kniphofia rivularis has been compared with K. foliosa

Hochst., an Abyssinian species which Baker recorded from

the Transvaal in his account of the genus in the Flora Capensis.

It is unlikely that Baker was correct in his identification ;

it being probable that the specimen on which he based his

opinion belongs either to K. rivularis or a very closely allied

species from southern Africa.

The common name “ red-hot poker ” which is applied to

several species of Kniphofia is not very appropriate in the

case of K. rivularis, the flowers of which are pale lemon

yellow, with only a tinge of pink in the buds.

Description : — Plant tufted from the base with a robust

rootstock ; leaf-bases becoming somewhat fibrous but not

conspicuously so. Leaves 10-15 to each inflorescence, glau-

cous-green, up to about 1 m. long, channelled down the face,

keeled below and more prominently so towards the apex;

margin and keel either with or without minute teeth but more

usually without; inner leaves about 0-5-1 -5 cm. broad,

strongly keeled throughout their length; margin and keel

usually with minute upcurved teeth, particularly towards

the apex, but occasionally without. Peduncle slightly over-

topping the leaves, about 1 m. high or slightly more, furnished

with several to many sterile bracts above the middle ; sterile

bracts 1 or 2 together, irregularly spaced, 1-1-5 cm. long,

lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, membranous, erect ; fertile

bracts smaller, recurved. Raceme very dense, cylindric,

12-20 cm. long, 4-5 cm. broad. Pedicels 3-4 mm. long.

Perianth pale lemon yellow (the buds often with a pink

tinge) with a light green stripe extending to the apex of each

lobe, about 2 cm. long, pendulous; tube about 1-7 cm. long,

about 3 mm. diameter at the base, very slightly constricted

above the ovary and expanded to 6 mm. at the throat; lobes

ovate-lanceolate, 2-5-3 mm. long. Stamens longer than the

perianth and filaments well exserted. Style slender, finally

well exserted ; stigma with a minute tuft of hairs. (National

Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 26,530.) — R. A. Dyer.

Plate 866. — Fig. 1, section of medium sized leaf towards the apex;

2, cross-section of leaf; 3, flower; 4, longitudinal section of flower mag-

nified.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

867

M.E. Connell del.

Plate 867.

CYRTANTHUS AFFINIS.

Cape Province.

AMARYLLID ACE AE .

Cyrtanthus afFmis R. A. Dyer, sp. nov., affinis C. clavato (L’Herit.)

R. A. Dyer, foliis longioribus latioribusque floribus 1-4 differt.

Bulbus ovoideus plus minusve 3-5 cm. diametro, in collo 1-2 cm. longo

productus. Folia 1-3, synantha, 20-32 cm. longa, 0-8-1 cm. lata. Pedun-

culus circiter 15-18 cm. longus, 4-5 mm. diametro. Bracteae 2-3, oblongo-

vel lineari-lanceolatae, usque 4 cm. longae. Pedicelli 1-5-3 cm. longi.

Umbella 1-4-flora. Flores suberecti vel patentes. Perianthium circiter

4 cm. longum vel nonnunquam usque 5 cm. longum; tubus 2-2-5 cm.

longus, superne ampliatus 1-5 cm. latus; lobi ovato-oblongi, 1-5-2 cm.

(vel nonnunquam 2-3 cm.) longi. Stamina biseriata, inclusa. Stylus tubo

perianthii exsertus, trifidus.

Cape Province : Port Elizabeth district, Walmer, Archibald in National

Herbarium, Pretoria, Nos. 26,528 ; 26,807 (type) ; Uitenbage district, near

Addo, Marloth, 10,862 in part; Alexandria district, in sandy soil, Dec.

Copeman in National Herbarium, Pretoria, 26,808; possibly also occurring

in the King William’s Town district.

In the review of the genus Cyrtanthus in Herbertia 1939,

it was mentioned that in all probability further species would

have to be described when the plants were studied more

intensively in the field. The writer has not had the advantage

of additional field work, but Mrs. L. I. Archibald and Miss

E. Archibald of Walmer have drawn attention to two forms

which appear worthy of specific status. One of these is

figured on the accompanying plate, and the other follows

overleaf. Specimens collected by Major A. G. McLoughlin

in the Kingwilliam’s Town district possibly represent the

present species. C. affinis is certainly very closely related

to C. clavatus (L’Herit.) R. A. Dyer, which also grows in the

eastern Cape Province, but is a more robust plant generally,

usually having far larger leaves and more than one flower

to the umbel. The difference in length of the filaments

(anthers exserted in C. clavatus) and differences in colour do

not seem to be of great significance. Certain individual

specimens among those collected by Marloth and Copeman

cited above appear somewhat intermediate in character

between the typical forms of C. clavatus and C. affinis.

C. affinis has colonised somewhat drier areas than C. clavatus,

which is mainly restricted to grass veld in temperate areas.

Bulbs of C. affinis were sent in March, 1941, to the Division

of Botany and Plant Pathology, Pretoria, from Walmer by

Miss Archibald. The painting was made when these flowered

in December, 1941, but the flowers were not quite as large

as those produced the previous season in the veld. Writing

about this plant, Miss Archibald stated that it flowered in

the veld in December, 1941 — then again earlv in February,

1942.

Description : — Bulb egg-shaped, about 3-5 cm. in dia-

meter, with a short neck 1-2 cm. long. Leaves 1-3, con-

temporary with the flowers, linear, 20-35 cm. long or some-

times longer, about 0-8-1 cm. broad, spreading, tapering

gradually to a narrow base, not or only slightly twisted,

and the older ones occasionally recurved towards the apex;

margin slightly folded upwards. Peduncle slender, erect,

about 15-18 cm. tall, 4-5 mm. diameter, hollow above, solid

towards the base. Spathe-valves 2-3, oblong or linear-

lanceolate, up to 4 cm. long. Pedicels T5-3 cm. long. Flowers

1-4 on each peduncle, suberect or somewhat spreading ;

perianth white with cream tinge down centre of each seg-

ment, passing to light green at the base (flower white with

pink markings : Copeman), about 4 cm. long or occasionally

up to 5 cm. long; tube 2-25 cm. long, -with a short slender

cylindric base, from which it is dilated somewhat abruptly

and thence gradually to the throat about 1-5 cm. wide;

lobes ovate-oblong, T5-2 cm. or occasionally up to 2-3 cm.

long. Stamens biseriate, included. Style exserted from the

tube, trilobed. — R. A. Dyer.

Plate 867. — Fig. 1, flower opened out.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

S68

M.E. ConneJl del

2

Plate 868.

CYRTANTHUS SPECIOSUS.

Cape Province.

Amaryllidaceae.

Cyrtanthus speciosus R. A. Dyer, sp. nov. affinis C. Smithiae Watt

foliis non spiraliter tortis differt.

Bulbus subglobosus, 4-6 cm. diametro, in collo plus minusve 2 cm.

longo productus. Folia 1-3, synantha, 25-35 cm. longa, 1-25-2 cm. lata,

patentia. Pedunculus erectus, 15-18 cm. longus, 5-7 mm. diametro.

Bracteae 3, oblongo-vel lineari-lanceolatae, usque 4 cm. longae. Pedicelli

0-5-3 cm. longi. Umbella 2-6-flora ; flores suberecti vel patentes. Peri-

anthium 6-8 cm. longum ; tubus 4-5-5 cm. longus, superne gradatim ampli-

atus, 1-5-2 cm. latus; lobi oblongo-lanceolati, 2-2-5 cm. longi. Stamina

biseriata, plus minusve inclusa. Stylus tubo perianthii exsertus, trifidus.

Cape Province : Port Elizabeth district; Sea View Estate, several

miles west of Port Elizabeth, Dec., Archibald in National Herbarium,

Pretoria, Nos. 26,529, 26,809 (type).

This is the second previously undescribed species of

Cyrtanthus to be described and illustrated in this volume.

In both cases the material was forwarded by Miss E. Archi-

bald, who is on the botanical staff of Rhodes University

College. As with C. affinis, shown on the previous plate,

so with C. speciosus — bulbs collected near Port Elizabeth in

March, 1941, flowered at the Division of Botany and Plant

Pathology in December of the same year. There is quite

an appreciable difference in the size of flowers produced from

different bulbs.

C. speciosus is no less beautiful than C. Smithiae, the

species to which it is most nearly related. Both species have

comparatively large flowers of similar shape and colour, and

are distinguished from each other almost exclusively by the

leaves, those of C. Smithiae being strongly spirally twisted,

whereas those of C. speciosus are not. It is quite possible,

therefore, that in the past C. speciosus has been confused

with C. Smithiae and other closely allied species, owing to

the absence of complete records. Although C. affinis might,

at first sight, be confused with C. Smithiae and C. speciosus,

it will be noted that the perianth tube of C. affinis does not

expand evenly from the base, as it does in the other two

species.

In the key to the species of Cyrtanthus published in

Herbertia 1939, p. 74, the section “ AA ” makes provision

for plants with “ 1-2, rarely 3 flowers ” in an umbel. Both

C. speciosus with up to 6 flowers, and C. affinis with up to

4 flowers in an umbel, have their nearest relatives in the

“ AA ” section. The key now requires remodelling but the

necessary alterations are too involved to be recorded here.

Description : — Bulb subglobose or onion-like, 4-6 cm.

broad, slightly broader than tall, with a short neck about

2 cm. long. Leaves 1-3, contemporary with the flowers,

25-35 cm. long or somewhat longer, 1*25-2 cm. broad, spread-

ing, recurved or curled inwards towards the tips but not

spirally twisted, tapering gradually to apex and base, ribbed

below and with margins folded upwards. Peduncle slender,

erect, 5-7 mm. diameter, about 15-18 cm. long, hollow above

and solid towards the base. Spathe-valves 3, oblong to linear-

lanceolate, up to 4 cm. long ; the outermost being the largest.

Pedicels 0*5-3 cm. long. Flowers 2-6 on each peduncle,

spreading or suberect; perianth creamy white with broad

red or pink stripe down the centre of each segment, paling

towards the tip, green with pink tinge towards the base, the

intensity of colour being variable, 6-8 cm. long or slightly

longer; tube 4-5*5 cm. long, evenly dilated from the base

to the throat, T5-2 cm. wide; lobes oblong-lanceolate,

2-2*5 cm. long, apiculate. Stamens inserted in 2 rows; the

upper row slightly below the mouth and the anthers reaching

the mouth. Style exserted, trilobed. — R. A. Dyer.

Plate 868. — Fig. 1, inflorescence (after E. Archibald); 2, flower opened

out.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

869

M.E.C orniell del.

Plate 869.

DAIS COTINIFOLIA.

Transvaal, Natal, Basutoland, Eastern Cape.

ThYMELAE ACE AE .

Dais cotinifolia Linn. Sp. PL ed. ii, 556; Wright in FI. Cap. vol. 5, pt. 2,

p. 2 (1915).

It is interesting and rather surprising to learn that this

attractive flowering tree was known in Europe as far back

as 1764. In that year it was described by Linnaeus, having

been communicated to him by Adrian van Royen, Professor

of Botany at Leyden. It had also found its way to Kew

and other English gardens by 1776. The surprising part is

that in those days the valley of the Buffalo River, which is

the nearest locality to the Cape for Dais cotinifolia, must

have been beyond the reach of the colonists by land. There

is no record of a traveller having penetrated so far at that

early date. One speculation is that boats may have put in

along the eastern coast at places such as the Buffalo or Kei

Rivers, possibly for fresh water, and at the same time seeds

were collected. It is generally known that the sailors in the

Dutch East Indian Company were keen collectors of seeds

and plants, greatly encouraged by their patrons at home.

The Company had a special garden and gardener at Cape

Town to receive, propagate and communicate the plants

collected. At that time the gardener was Auge, who is said

to have been a particularly able man in that post and who

is known to have been in communication with Professor van

Royen.

Dais cotinifolia is a very distinct species endemic in the

eastern parts of Southern Africa, its distribution extending

from the valley of the Buffalo River in the south, northwards

through the Transkei, Basutoland, Natal and the eastern

Transvaal to the Zoutpansberg Range. It is a small tree or

shrub growing in rocky ravines and creeks in mountainous

country or in the wooded valleys of the rivers. In spring,

for a short period, it is a mass of heads of fresh, pinky-mauve

flowers covered with white pubescence. The flower clusters,

arranged on a disc or platform (hence the generic name

Dais) and borne on stiff peduncles, are cupped at the base

by 4 broad green bracts. After the flowers have fallen these

bracts persist, becoming lignified and chestnut-brown in

colour. The tree looks rather untidy for the short period

when the flowers are fading, but the attractive green foliage

persists for the greater part of the year. The specific name

indicates that the leaves resemble those of Cotinus. Besides

being an ornamental tree, it is noteworthy for its bark, which

yields a strong fibre. The vernacular name is “ Kannabas ”,

which probably refers to this use of the bark (bas). The

specimen figured was taken from a tree cultivated in the

grounds of the Division of Botany and Plant Pathology,

Pretoria.

Description : — Small compact tree about 12 ft. tall ; ultimate branches

opposite or sub-opposite. Leaves opposite or alternate, variable in shape

and size, mostly oblong-elliptic or obovate, up to 9 cm. long and 5 cm.

broad, with the midrib and veins very pale7 green, somewhat translucent,

prominent on lower surface only; petiole about 5 mm. long. Florvers in

globose pedimcled heads ± -4 cm. diameter, terminating the ultimate leafy

branchlets. Peduncle glabrous, 3-5 cm. long, rigid, slender, thickening

towards the apex. Involucre of 4 broad thick green bracts, turning brown

and lignifying with age, 1-5 cm. long, 1-8 cm. broad; the outer 2 glabrous

and the 2 inner pubescent with white oppressed hairs on the exposed sur-

face. Receptacle flat, pubescent with erect hairs. Calyx pinky mauve with

white pubescence 3 cm. long, tubular ; tube slender, widening towards the

apex, 2-2 cm. long, pubescent outside with long white ascending hairs and

sparsely pubescent within with retrorse hairs; lobes 5 (rarely 4), spreading,

about 7 mm. long, 3 mm. broad. Petal s reduced to ridges in the throat

of the calyx, dark pink margined. Stamens 10 (rarely 8), in two series;

low'er 5 inserted about 2-5 mm. below the throat with the anthers reaching

the throat ; upper 5 inserted in the throat with exserted filaments 2-5 mm.

long. Disc cupular, two-lobed, 0-5 mm. long. Ovary about 2 mm. long,

shortly stipitate at the base, crowned with long erect translucent hairs;

style arising excentrically, filiform, about 2-2 cm. long; stigma capitate.

(National Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 26,525.) — I. C. Verdoorn.

Plate 869. — Fig. 1, peduncle and lignified bracts; 2, transverse section

of capitulum ; 3, transverse section of flower ; 4, ovarv.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

/

8 70

Plate 870.

ORNITHOGALUM DISTANS.

Cape Province.

Liliaceae.

Ornithogalum distans L. Bolus, Journ. Bot. vol. 71, p. 71 (1933).

The specimen from which our plate was prepared was

raised from bulbs collected by Professor H. Humbert near

Matjesfontein in the Laingsburg district in September, 1935.

The species, while a very distinctive one, due to the green

spotting on the leaf-sheaths, was confused in the herbarium

with both O. hispidum Hornem. and 0. Bergii Schlecht.,

both of which, however, occur in a different floral region

from 0. distans. The specimen on which Dr. L. Bolus de-

scribed the species came from the Calvinia district, whereas

both O. hispidum and 0. Bergii are recorded only from the

south-western and south-eastern districts of the Cape Province.

Our specimen was sent to the Bolus Herbarium for com-

parison with the type of O. distans, and was reported to be

this species, and that it differed from O. hispidum both in

the time of flowering and in the marked spotting of the leaf-

sheaths ; also that O. Bergii Schlecht. is conspecific with

0. hispidum Hornem. The flowers of 0. distans are not

among the largest found in the genus, but nevertheless the

leaves alone make it a very attractive species to grow. The

inflorescence is usually denser than depicted in the plate.

Description : — Bulb sub-globose 2*3-2-5 cm. diameter

with a brown membranous tunic; inner scales white; roots

thread-like, white. Plant 24-33 cm. high. Produced leaves

3-5, long-sheathing and clasping the stem at the base, arising

one above the other; sheaths white, with irregular hori-

zontal green stripes or spots, hispid with deflexed hairs;

lamina of lowest leaf 2-3 cm. long, 1 -5—1 -8 cm. broad, usually

ovate, obtuse, hispid above and below, ciliate; lamina of

upper leaves increasing in length up to 13 cm. long and

6 mm. broad (usually shorter and broader), hispid above and

below, ciliate. Peduncle arising from the axil of the upper-

most leaf or from the axil of a lower leaf, 13-23 cm. long,

2-5 mm. diameter, cylindric, glabrous. Raceme 9-11 -flowered,

lax, up to 11 cm. long when mature. Bracts in young flowers

longer than the pedicels, lanceolate, acuminate, acute; in

older flowers shorter than the pedicels. Pedicels erect, 8 mm.

long in mature buds, 1-5 cm. long in old flowers. Perianth-

segments white, the 3 outer with a green keel, 1-3 cm. long,

4-5 mm. broad, oblong or oblong-ovate ; the 3 outer minutely

glandular at the tips. Stamens shorter than the perianth-

segments; filaments opposite inner lobes broadened at the

base, white, semiterete; anthers oblong. Ovary yellowish-

green, 4 mm. long, 2 mm. diameter, oblong in outline ; style

4 mm. long, thickening from the base upwards, faintly 3-lobed

above and covered with stalked glandular hairs. Fruit mem-

branous. Seeds black, somewhat clavate, glandular-hairy.

(National Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 26,494.) — E. P. Phillips.

Plate 870. — Fig. 1, bulb showing lowest leaf; 2, section of flower;

3, gynaecium ; 4, stigma ; 5, 6, inner and outer stamens.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

8 7/.

C.Letty del.

Plate 871.

CRASSULA MULTICAVA.

Natal, Cape Province.

Crassulaceae.

Crassula multicava Lem. et Verschoff. in Illustr. Hort., 9 (1861 ) ; Wood,

Natal Plants vol. 4, pt. 2, t. 326 (1904) ; Schonland in Transactions of Roy.

Soc. S. Afr., vol. 17, pt. 3, p. 200 (1929).

Almost from the time of its discovery, about the middle of

last century, Crassula multicava has been regarded as an

attractive pot plant and a good subject for a rockery. It has

also been described under the name C. quadrifida Baker, on

account of its occasional 4-merous flowers, but the former name

has priority. The 4-merous form is depicted here. The

white or reddish flowers are not large, but are borne in great

profusion, and another attractive feature is the punctate

appearance of the leaves, due to the presence of numerous

minute pustules under the surface. No special care is necessary

in its cultivation except to give it partial shade. It increases

freely by rooting where the branches touch the ground, and

sometimes by the production of “ brood-buds ” from the in-

florescence. Some plants in related genera, such as Bryo-

phyllum and Kalanchoe, are known to produce plantlets or

brood-buds on the margins or base of leaves, but South African

species are not noted for this. In C. multicava, however,

particularly in cultivation, plantlets may be formed sporadically

on the inflorescence. This phenomenon took place on the

plant illustrated here, which was cultivated at the Division of

Botany and Plant Pathology some years ago. Unfortunately

there is no record of the place of origin of the specimen, but

the species is known to occur at many sites from southern

Natal into the eastern Cape Province.

Description : — A fleshy undershrub up to about 30-40

cm. high, branching freely from the base, forming dense

clumps. Stems usually simple, occasionally branched towards

the base, 4—7 mm. thick, comparatively brittle. Leaves

2-5-6 cm. long, 2-4 cm. broad, ovate-orbicular, fleshy, concave,

with the margin entire and rounded at the apex, produced into

a short broad petiole, which is connate around the stem ; both

surfaces thickly covered with minute pustules. Inflorescence

cymose-paniculate, frequently but not always trichotomously

branched, with a small oblong bract at each fork and occa-

sionally with scattered “brood-buds”; peduncle about 15

cm. long, terete, glabrous. Calyx with 4-5 short triangular

lobes. Corolla with 4-5 white or reddish-tinged petals ; petals

4-6 mm. long, 1-5-2 mm. broad, lanceolate, subacute.

Stamens shorter than petals and carpels; filaments filiform.

Carpels ellipsoid, attenuated into a slender style and small

stigma. Squamae euneate. (National Herbarium, Pretoria,

No. 25,135.) — R. A. Dyer.

Plate 871. — Fig. 1, leaf; 2, flower; 3, pedicel and calyx: 4, corolla-

lobe ; 5, carpel ; all enlarged.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

872

M E. Connell del.

Plate 872.

TRICHOCAULON ANNULATUM.

Cape Province.

Asclepiadaceae.

Trichocaulon annulatum N.E. Br. in FI. Cap. vol. 4, pt. 1, p. 889

(1909) ; White and Sloane, Stapelieae vol. 3, p. 997 (1937).

Trichocaulon annulatum N.E. Br. has the distinction of

possessing the most prominent annulus in the genus. The

raised annulus on the corolla forms a small cup surrounding

the corona, and the proportions may be seen in Fig. 2, which

is an enlarged longitudinal section. The only other species

with a raised annulus is T. piliferum N.E. Br., which was

figured on Plate 594. The distinctions drawn between the

two plants are more a matter of degree than any obvious

morphological difference, and one has little hesitation in

suggesting that either T. annulatum is an evolutionary form

from T. piliferum parentage, or that both species are from the

same stock. Of the two, the latter species is far more common

and more widely spread, ranging over the greater portion of

the Karoo veld of the Cape Province, whereas T. annulatum

has not been recorded outside the districts of Jansenville and

Willowmore.

Flowers are produced in some profusion, although usually

only one develops at a time from each flowering eye. The

flowering of species of Trichocaulon is referred to in the text

of T. Pillansii N.E. Br. (Plate 850). There also it is pointed

out that rows of tubercles are fairly regularly developed on

young branches, but appear quite irregular on old branches

due to the interruption of rows by the development of flower-

ing eyes. In the habit sketch on the accompanying plate it

will be noted that most of the branches show constrictions

near the apex. This was caused by the temporary arrest of

growth due to uprooting the plant from the Willowmore

district and transferring it to the garden of the Division of

Botany and Plant Pathology. It was some months before the

plant re-rooted and came into flower. Of the many species

in the Stapelieae with nauseating-smelling flowers, few can be

worse than T. annulatum.

Description : — A tufted succulent, 15-45 cm. high.

Stems up to about 5 cm. diameter with 23-30 rows of tubercles

ending in stiff bristles up to 5 mm. long, with flowering eyes

scattered along the rows of tubercles; bristles grey, turning

brown with age. Flowers usually 1 from a flowering eye at one

time, sessile or subsessile. Sepals about 2 mm. long, broadly

ovate at the base, abruptly acuminate above. Corolla very dark

purple-brown, almost black, with a nauseating smell, about

2 cm. diameter, often somewhat distorted in shape owing to the

pressure of the surrounding tubercles, with a basal cup-shaped

tube and annulus and spreading limb and lobes, papillate except

within the tube; tube, including the annulus, 4 mm. deep,

glabrous within ; annulus raised 3 mm. above the limb,

papillate; limb divided slightly more than half-way to the

annulus ; lobes about 6 mm. long and 7 mm. broad at the base,

cuspidate and recurved towards the apex; papillae mostly

tipped with minute hairs nearly at right angles to themselves

and directed towards the tips of the corolla-lobes. Outer

corona dark purple-brown, slightly overtopping the corolla-

cup, about 4 mm. high, cup-shaped at the base, with 5 broad

lobes divided into 2 falcate-lanceolate diverging teeth. Inner

corona-lobes dark purple-brown, incumbent on the backs of

the anthers but not meeting over the centre of the column.

(National Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 26,497.) — R. A. Dyer.

Plate 872. — Fig. 1, somewhat enlarged face view of flower; 2, enlarged

longitudinal section of flower.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

8 73

M.E. Connell del.

s

Plate 873.

SUTERA MICROPHYLLA.

Cape Province.

SOROPHULARIACEAE.

Sutera microphylla Hiern in FI. Cap., vol. 4, pt. 2, p. 309 (1904).

Sutera microphylla is a common species in the Port Eliza-

beth-Uitenhage area, extending westward as far as the Rivers-

dale district and eastward to the Albany district. The Flora

Capensis records the species from Little Namaqualand,

though a superficial examination of specimens from Namaqua-

land and South-west Africa in the National Herbarium, and

named Sutera microphylla, raises a doubt whether the Nama-

qualand-South-west African plants belong to the same species

as the Port Elizabeth-Uitenhage plants. This, however,

must be left for some future investigation to settle.

In this work we have previously figured four species of

Sutera, all of which belong to the same section ( Foliolosae ) of

the genus, which is characterised by usually having quasi-

fasciculate leaves. The species we now figure has the same

type of blue flower as is found in Sutera grandiflora (PI. 131),

but the flowers are smaller. The short branchlets of S.

microphylla have a four-ranked arrangement on the stem, and

the leaves are arranged in four ranks on the branchlets. This

arrangement gives the plant quite a characteristic appearance.

The specimen from which the plate was prepared was grown

at the Division of Botany and Plant Pathology, Pretoria, and

flowered in September, 1941.

Description : — A low bush. Branches and branchlets

covered with glandular hairs. Leaves 4 mm. long, about

1*75 mm. broad, lanceolate, obtuse, sparsely covered with

glandular hairs ; each with a very much abbreviated shoot in

its axil. Flowers solitary, axillary. Pedicel 1*5 cm. long,

with stalked glandular hairs. Calyx-lobes 3 mm. long, elon-

gating to 5 mm. long in the fruiting stage, linear, densely

covered with stalked glandular hairs. Corolla-tube 1 cm. long,

tubular below, bent and somewhat widened above, covered

with stalked glandular hairs; lobes 5 mm. long, obovate or

obovate-oblong, rounded above. Stamens 4; the 2 lower

inserted at the base of the corolla-tube but with their filaments

adnate to the tube for the greater part of their length ; the 2

upper inserted high up in the corolla-tube. Ovary 1-75 mm.

long, ovoid, glabrous; style 6-5 cm. long, cylindric, glabrous;

stigma simple. Young fruit speckled with brown markings,

glandular. (National Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 26,508.) —

E. P. Phillips.

Plate 873. — Fig. 1, whole plant much reduced; 2, portion of branch

with leaves ; 3, abbreviated shoot with 4-ranked leaves ; 4, calyx with style ;

5, longitudinal section of corolla ; 6, young fruit.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

M.E. Connell del.

7

Plate 874.

DIERAMA IGNEUM.

Eastern Cape, Basutoland, Natal, Transvaal.

Irid ace ae.

Dierama igneum Klatt. in Abhandl. Naturf. Ges. Halle 1882 (not

seen) ; N.E. Brown in Journ. Royal Hort. Soc. Vol. LIV, Pt. 1, 1929.

This makes the sixth species of Dierama to be figured in

this work. It was collected by Mr. G. W. Reynolds near

Amsterdam in the eastern Transvaal, and flowered in his

garden in Johannesburg in December 1939. With regard to

the name, the suggestion made by N. E. Brown in his revision

of the genus, page 9, has been followed, and the plants quoted

by him as probably being D. igneum are regarded as that

species. Recent collections from both the neighbourhood of

the type locality and from the Transvaal seem to confirm this

decision. The narrow leaves, which even near the base are

only about 5 mm. (or less) wide, together with the size and

colour of the perianth and bracts, appear to constitute good

diagnostic characters.* The specimen figured here is taller

than the measurements given by Dr. Brown, but similar

specimens from the same locality in the Transvaal are not so

tall, giving a range which links up the specimens. The wide

distribution of this species, from the Stockenstroom division

in the Cape northwards through Basutoland to the eastern

Transvaal, may at first seem surprising, since most of the other

species are fairly localised, but, although the distance is great,

the country is of a similar character. Our specimen has been

compared with the one collected near Machadodorp by Pole

Evans and quoted by N. E. Brown in the revision, and was

found to agree very well.

The colour of the perianth, which is difficult to reproduce,

* In this connection a correction should be made in the text of Plate

836. In line 7 the word “ more ” should be deleted. Owing to the omission

of an earlier statement from the text it is now out of its correct context.

is a clearer pink, and more shiny than shown on the plate.

On drying, it turns a deep violet or mauve colour. The species

falls in the class with membranous bracts distinctly brown

line-marked and medium-sized pinkish flowers (2*4— 2*8 cm.

long). It is characterised by the narrow leaves as mentioned

above. D. medium , which is also frequent in the Transvaal

and has leaves as narrow, can easily be distinguished by its

smaller (T4-2 cm. long) “ mauve ” to “ red ” flowers. Com-

paring the growing plant with that of D. Reynoldsii (Plate

836) when both flowered in Mr. Reynolds’ garden, it wras noted

that the stem of D. igneum was not so strongly sheathed right

to the base of the inflorescence as in D. Reynoldsii. The latter,

therefore, appeared more erect, with only the inflorescence

nodding. This may be seen if the drawings of the two plants

are compared. It is not certain whether this is a constant

character.

Description : — Whole plant 31-41 ft. tall. Corm whitish, about 2-5

cm. diameter, covered by fibrous tunics splitting above into long bristles.

Leaves sheathing and distichous ; the basal leaves of the season’s flowering

stalk 3 ; blades 30-60 cm. long, 4-5 mm. wide, slightly acicular, attenuating

to a sub-acute withered apex ; cauline leaves 2-3, closely sheathing the

stem from the base almost to the inflorescence free points about 10, 5 and

3 cm. long respectively, dorsally keeled and canaliculate along the upper

surface. Stem where it emerges from the uppermost leaf terete, slender,

wiry, about 1-1-5 mm. in diameter, bearing 5-6 nodding secund spikes.

Spikes 4-9-flowered, about 4-10 cm. long, borne on peduncles almost as long.

Cauline bracts membranous with numerous fine brown line-markings,

linear, long acuminate, 2-5-3 cm. long; the outer entire or lacerate and the

inner usually split into two filiform branches. Floral bracts up to 2 cm. long,

8 mm. wide, membranous, ribbed at the base and densely marked with

brown line-markings except on margins and apex, which are w hite, lacerated

at apex, with the midrib running out in a point; bracteole 1-9 cm. long and

6 mm. wide. Perianth pink, 2-4 cm. long; tube 9 mm. long; lobes 1-6 cm.

long and 8 mm. wide. Stamens reaching about half-way up the lobes,

inserted about midway in the tube, decurrent on the tube for 5 mm. ; fila-

ments free for 7 mm.; anthers 6 mm. long. Ovary green, 3-5 mm. long,

2 mm. wide; style 1-8 cm. long; branches 2 mm. long, spathulate, marked

with brown line-markings. (National Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 26,504.) —

I. C. Verdoorn.

Plate 874. — Fig. 1, whole plant;

floral bract ; 4, bracteole.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

2, flow-er slit and spread open; 3,

8 75

M.E. Connell del.

3

Plate 875.

STULTITIA CONJUNCTA.

Transvaal.

Asclepiadaceae.

Stultitia conjuncta White & Sloane in Cactus and Succulent Journal

10, 69 (1938).

Most of the plants of Stultitia conjuncta in cultivation to-day

originated from a collection by Mr. A. H. Crundell in 1937 in

the northern Transvaal. The specimen figured here was from

this source, and was flowered by Mr. B. L. Caincross in

November, 1941. The relationship of the plant presents a

most interesting study. Messrs. White and Sloane concluded

their original account with the words : “ Such is Stultitia

conjuncta newest member, and surely one of the oddest, of the

strange tribe of the Stapeliads.”

In preparing this account of S. conjuncta the present writer

finds himself on the horns of a dilemma. The view was

expressed in Cactus and Succulent Journal, 10, 138 (1939), that,

if the plant was to be placed in any of the described genera,

Stultitia was the only one which could accommodate it. On

the other hand, when describmg Stapelia Woodii var Westii

under Plate 811 (1941), the reduction of the genus Stultitia to

synonymy under Stapelia was advocated. In this connection

it should not be overlooked that species placed in the genus

Stultitia subsequent to its original description have to be

treated on their own merits. It has been decided, however,

to avoid a decision here on the several issues at stake. It is

felt that, where our knowledge is imperfect and arbitrary

decisions have to be relied on to distinguish genera, name

changes should be avoided if practicable, since a continually

fluctuating nomenclature brings discredit to the science. The

re-classification of species of Stultitia should not be undertaken

piecemeal, but should remain undisturbed until the whole

group of the Stapelieae comes up again for a general review.

On such occasions it is most likely that unique forms will be

seen in their correct perspective.

The absence of clavate-vibratile hairs from the corolla-

lobes of Stultitia conjuncta has not previously been specially

commented upon, yet these hairs are present in all three of the

other species in the genus.

Description : — Procumbent succulent with sprawling

branches. Branches 4-angled, up to 15 cm. long, about 1 cm.

in diameter or slightly less excluding the teeth, glabrous, grey-

green, mottled with dark brownish-green; teeth spreading,

up to 5 mm., prominent, entire, acute. Flowers 1-2 together,

variously situated on the branches. Pedicel about 1 cm.

long, glabrous. Sepals lanceolate, up to 7 mm. long. Corolla

sub-urceolate in the upper portion, campanulate at the base,

and constricted within the base by an annulus, creamy white

suffused with pink on the outside, with the basal portion within

the annulus, the annulus and lower portion of the corolla-tube

crimson, the upper portion of the tube and lobes flesh-coloured,

about 2-7 cm. from the base to the apex of the lobes; lobes

only slightly expanded, with a line of fusion indicated below

each sinus; tube about 2 cm. across the mouth, widened to

2-5 cm. in diameter and about 1-3 cm. deep to the rim of the

annulus; annulus 6-7 mm. deep, about 8 mm. in diameter.

Outer corona arising from about 1 mm. above the base of the

staminal-column, shortly connate and saucer-shaped at the

base ; the lobes crimson, minutely pilose, broadly V-shaped,

4 mm. long, partly fused and the free tips often adpressed to

the adjacent arm of the adjacent corona-lobe, giving the false

impression of 5 sub-oblong bifid lobes opposite the inner

corona-lobes; inner corona-lobes crimson, minutely pilose

arising from the saucer-shaped base of the outer corona, with a

minute swelling at the dorsal point of attachment, contracted

and slender above, incumbent on the backs of the anthers

but not exceeding them in length. (National Herbarium,

Pretoria, No. 26,515.) — R. A. Dyer.

Plate 875. — Fig. 1, bud ; 2, longitudinal section of flower ; 3, coronas.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

6 76

E.K.EureJ'es del.

Plate 876.

LEONOTIS LEONURUS.

Cape, Natal, Transvaal.

Labiatae.

Leonotis Leonurus (L.) R.Br. in Ait. Hort. Kew. ed. 2, 3, 410 (1811);

Skan in FI. Cap. 5, 1, 375 (1910).

Leonotis Leonurus has a long history as a medicinal plant

in South Africa. The uses to which it has been and still is put

are recorded in the Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of Southern

Africa by Watt and Brandwyk, 1932. The plant is widely

known under the common names “ wild dagga ” or “ wilde

dagga.” It was one of the earliest South African plants to

find its way into cultivation oversea, being recorded as early

as 1663 in Holland by Jacob Breynius, who published an

excellent plate of it in his Plantarum Centuria, 1678. It was

then claimed as one of the most beautiful exotic plants in

cultivation. It has been figured often during the interim on

account of its beauty, and it is surprising that it does not

enjoy a greater popularity in the private gardens of South

Africa, especially as it flowers profusely in late autumn and

winter, when flowers are usually at a premium.

The ruthless collection of plants from the veld is greatly

to be deplored, since regeneration is often slow, but in the

case of Leonotis Leonurus this is unnecessary. One mother

plant will furnish a large supply of young plants within a

season or two by breaking up the rootstock after the flowering

period. It also grows readily from cuttings and seed. The

plants are resistant to intense cold, but when 10° or more of

frost is experienced the flowers lose some of their lustre and

tend to fall sooner than they would do otherwise.

L. Leonurus has a wide distribution in South Africa,

usually being found on temperate rocky slopes from the Cape

Peninsula to the eastern Cape Province, Natal and the Trans-

vaal. A certain amount of colour variation occurs, and a

form with a white corolla has been described under the varietal

name albiflora. The plant figured was grown in the grounds

of the Division of Botany and Plant Pathology, Pretoria.

In addition to its value in a perennial border, L. Leonurus

is adaptable for indoor decoration. In this event, however,

the precaution, necessary with many other garden flowers, of

burning the cut ends of the stems or placing them in boiling

water for a few moments, has to be taken.

Description : — Shrub 7-8 ft. tall ; stems several to many

produced annually from a perennial woody rootstock.

Branches with four rounded angles and with a groove down

each side, shortly and densely adpressed pubescent, un-

branched or occasionally branched from near the base, often

with secondary branches near the main inflorescence giving rise

to a compound inflorescence. Leaves subsessile to shortly

petiolate, oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate, 5-10 cm. long, up

to about 2*5 cm. broad, obtuse, narrowed gradually to the

base, shortly pubescent, prominently veined beneath ; the

margin crenate-serrate in the upper half, more or less entire

in the lower half ; floral leaves similar but smaller, the upper-

most usually sterile. Flowers curved outwards in 2-7 dense

whorls, but usually in 3-5 whorls, the upper flowers in each

whorl opening first ; whorls consisting of 2 dense contiguous

clusters of flowers in the axils of the opposite leaves, no

flowers arising from the furrowed sides between the leaf-

bases, distant or congested ; bracteoles narrowly linear up to

2-5 cm. long, curved upwards and somewhat rigid; pedicels

up to 2-5 mm. long; the lower ones in the whorl shorter.

Calyx 12-16 mm. long, oblicpie at the throat with the longer

portion uppermost, shortly pubescent, (8-) 10-toothed; teeth

0-5-1 mm. long, rarely more. Corolla densely covered outside

and within the tips with dark orange hairs, 4-5-S-5 cm. long ;

tube 3-3-5 cm. long ; lower lip brown, with subequal lanceolate

lobes, the central one largest, about 5 mm. long, submembran-

ous. (National Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 26,820.) — R. A.

Dyer.

Plate 876. — Fig. 1, part of flowering branch, with half the whorl of

flowers removed showing the groove dividing the whorl.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

877

Plate 877.

EUPHORBIA BARNARDII.

Transvaal.

Euphorbiaceae.

Euphorbia Barnardii W.D. & S. The Succulent Euphorbieae vol. 2,

p. 804 (1941).

This species is named after Mr. W. G. Barnard, who was

for many years stationed in the native reserve of Sekukuniland

in the Lydenburg district. His duties in the Department of

Native Affairs took him into all corners of the area, and the

study of the local flora and its utilisation by the natives was

his main hobby. Our knowledge of the present species of

Euphorbia was a direct outcome of his work.

There is little to add to the recently published account of

E. Barnardii in the Succulent Euphorbieae, where its character

and relationships are discussed in some detail. In referring

in that work to its relationships, mention might also have been

made to E. grandialata R. A. Dyer, which occurs in the same

region (Plate 641 of this work). It differs from this mainly in

the shape and markings of the segments and in the greater

number of cymes from the flowering eyes. In the Succulent

Euphorbieae attention was focussed on the importance of

the arrangement of the cyathia in the cymes as a means of

classifying the spine-paired group of species. In E. Barnardii

there is a single cyme from each flowering eye, the cyathia

being in a parallel plane to the main axis. However, in this,

as in related species, owing to pressure from adjacent cyathia

a certain amount of displacement may take place. This

obscures the normal parallel or vertical disposition of the

cyathia, as it has been termed. The accompanying figure

was made from a secondary branch on the type specimen,

when it flowered in cultivation at the Division of Botany and

Plant Pathology during July, 1942.

Description : — A spiny, succulent shrub up to about

0*75 m. high ; main stem suppressed and not produced above

ground, giving rise to a few to many branches. Branches

simple or occasionally rebranched with age, 5-6-angled, con-

stricted at intervals into irregularly shaped segments; angles

compressed, 1-5-3 cm. wide, with the spine shields united into

a continuous horny grey margin. Spines in pairs about 1 cm.

apart along the angles, up to 1 cm. long. Inflorescence of

solitary cymes from the flowering eyes of the terminal branch-

segments; cymes very shortly peduncled, consisting of 3

cyathia, disposed normally parallel to the axis; the central

cyathium male and sessile, the two lateral ones bisexual on

short cyme branches. Involucre cup-shaped, 7-10 mm. in

diameter, including the glands, glabrous with 5 glands and

5 subquadrate, fimbriate lobes; glands greenish-yellow, con-

tiguous, transversely oblong, about 4 mm. in their greater

diameter, entire. Ovary subsessile; styles 6 mm. long, united

into a column for half their length, free above, with bifid tips.

Capsule about 9 mm. in diameter, 3-angled. (National

Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 26,819.) — R. A. Dyer.

Plate 877. — Fig. 1, cyme with central male and two lateral bisexual

cyathia ; 2, vertical section of cyathium.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

878

B. Connell del.

Plate 878.

CROTALARIA DURA.

Natal, Portuguese East Africa ?

Papilionaceae.

Crotalaria dura Wood & Evans in Journ. Bot. 35, 487 (1897); E. G.

Baker in Journ. Linn. Soc. Bot. 42, 295 (1914) ; Verdoorn in Bothalia 2, 2,

51 (1928).

The typical form of Crotalaria dura is widely dispersed in

the grassveld of Natal, and occurs commonly in certain

areas such as the open hillsides north of Pietermaritzburg.

Plants growing in Portuguese East Africa have been identified

as C. dura, but it appears likely that further investigations will

result in their being regarded as a distinct species.

The perennial woody rootstock of C. dura is fire-resistant

and annually, in the early spring, produces a tuft of ascending-

spreading branches. During December and January the

yellow flowers in terminal inflorescences show up conspicuously

in the veld. C. dura often grows in association with another

species of Crotalaria, namely C. globifera. It is not difficult to

distinguish the two species botanically, but, owing to the

similarity in habit, confusion has arisen on several occasions in

the past. This confusion resulted in both species being

classified as poisonous to stock, but careful collection by a

botanist and subsequent tests by Dr. D. G. Steyn of the

Division of Veterinary Services, Onderstepoort, proved that

C. dura alone was toxic, and that C. globifera gave no ill effects

in feeding tests. The results of the experiments were published

in the Onderstepoort Journal, 1937, pp. 119-120. The speci-

men figured was collected by the artist on Town Hill, Pieter-

maritzburg, in connection with the above investigations.

Another species, C. natalitia Meissn., has also been confused

with C. dura, owing to the similarity of the leaves, but the

leafy stipules and larger fruits of the former are good distin-

guishing characters.

Description : — Shrublet about 30 cm. high, producing

new growth each season from a perennial woody rootstock.

Branches several to many from each rootstock, ascending-

spreading, either unbranched or branched near the base or

towards the apex, slightly striate and thinly strigose. Leaves

usually stipulate, petiolate, trifoliolate ; stipules small, subu-

late, recurved, sometimes absent; petioles 3-10 mm. long,

grooved above ; leaflets narrowly oblong-cuneate or oblanceo-

late, 10-35 mm. long, 3-12 mm. broad, acute, mucronate or

refuse, cuneate at the base, thinly appressedly pubescent.

Flowers in lax or dense terminal racemes; bracts linear,

shorter to almost as long as the pedicels; pedicels 4-6 mm.

long. Calyx 6-8 mm. long, appressedly pilose ; lobes lanceo-

late, much longer than the tube. Corolla 6-10 mm. long;

standard glabrous on the back; keels rounded about the

middle, ending in a short beak, broad, with the upper margin

2-lobed. Pods sub-globose or oblong, very oblique, 5-9 mm.

long, 5-8 mm. broad, black with a white or yellow appressed

pubescence. (National Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 24,542.) —

— R. A. Dyer.

Plate 878. — Fig. 1, side view of flower; 2, longitudinal section ; 3, face

view ; 4, cross section of fruit.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

8 79

E.K.Burges del.

Plate 879.

ALOE VERDOORNIAE.

Transvaal.

Luiaceae.

Aloe Verdoorniae Reynolds in Journ. S.A. Bot. vol. 2, p. 173 (1936).

The plant figured was collected at Trigaart’s Poort, Pre-

toria district, in 1935 by Miss I. C. Verdoorn, after whom the

species is named. It has flowered regularly at the Division of

Botany and Plant Pathology during June and July of the

succeeding years and the illustration was made in 1942.

Throughout the seven years in cultivation the habit of the

plant has remained typical of the species in the veld. Slight

variations in the measurements of certain organs have been

recorded, but Mr. G. W. Reynolds in his original full account

draws attention to similar variations in the wild plants. The

distinctive metallic bluish-grey or glaucous leaves, with a

horny reddish-brown margin, make this one of the most

attractive species in the “ maculate ” group. Although A.

Verdoorniae is very closely allied to A. Davy ana Schonl. (Plate

358), there is no difficulty in distinguishing the typical forms,

for, in addition to the glaucous character of the leaves, they

are generally longer, spreading erect, more oblong, and the

flowers are a darker shade of red than those of A. Davyana.

In the type locality on the rocky slopes of Trigaart’s

Poort, A. Verdoorniae is not found in close association with

other species of Aloe, but A. transvaalensis O. Kuntze (another

“ maculate ”) A. mutabilis Pillans and the giant species A.

Marlothii Berger (all three previously figured) occur within a

radius of a mile or so. Near Premier Mine A. Verdoorniae

grows in association with A. Davyana and A. pretoriensis

Pole Evans. The general area of distribution of A. Ver-

doorniae is from the floppies near Premier Mine in the Pretoria

district eastwards into the district of Belfast.

Description : — Plant, succulent, stemless usually with

only one, but very occasionally with two rosettes of leaves.

Leaves glaucous, usually marked with dull-whitish oval spots

above and sometimes on the lower surface, densely rosulate,

oblong-lanceolate, spreading-erect, up to 30 cm. long, 7-9 cm.

broad, about 1-5 cm. thick, with the apical 7-10 cm. becoming

dry and coiled ; upper surface more or less flat, lower surface

convex; the margins armed with deltoid pungent reddish-

brown teeth 4^5 mm. long and 7-12 mm. apart. Inflorescences

2- 4 from each rosette, produced successively, up to 1 m. high ;

peduncle with 2-5 branches, glaucous; racemes subcylindric,

dense, the terminal one up to 30 cm. long, the lateral ones

shorter ; bracts narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, shorter, equal

or slightly longer than the pedicels. Pedicels up to about 3 cm.

long. Perianth coral-red, with a brownish tip in bud which is

less conspicuous in the open flowers, faintly glaucous, about

3- 5 cm. long, with a swollen base 6-7 mm. in diameter, some-

what curved downwards ; tube usually about 2-5 cm. long ;

lobes slightly spreading, brownish tipped, usually about 1 cm.

long, ovate. Stamens slightly exserted from the perianth tube,

but rarely exserted beyond the lobes. Styles slightly exserted

from the perianth lobes. Capsule up to 2 cm. long and 1 cm.

broad. (National Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 26,822.) — R. A.

Dyer.

Plate 879. — Fig. 1 , flower, with pedicel and bract ; 2, longitudinal section

of flower ; 3, developing fruit.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

88 0

E.K. Burges del.

Plate 880.

HAWORTHIA BLACKBURNIAE.

Cape Province.

Liliaceae.

Haworthia Blackburniae Barker in Journ. of S.A. Bot. Vol. Ill,

p. 93 (1937).

This interesting species was collected at Calitzdorp by Mrs.

H. Blackburn, who communicated it to the National Botanic

Gardens, Kirstenbosch, and, thinking it might be an Aloe,

also to Mr. G. W. Reynolds, who is particularly interested in

the genus Aloe. In 1936 Mr. Reynolds sent two of his plants

to the Division of Botany and Plant Pathology, Pretoria, under

the number 1842. At that time it was still undecided into

which genus this plant should be placed, and it was even

thought that a new genus should be described to take it.

While the flowers are very typical of species of Haworthia, the

very fleshy fusiform roots and the linear leaves resemble those

of Leptaloe. After careful consideration it was decided that the

characteristic inflorescence justified its inclusion in the genus

Haworthia, where it was placed in a newly described section

termed “ Fusiformae .” The accompanying plate was pre-

pared when one of the plants sent in by Mr. Reynolds flowered

in August, 1942. Although the leaves of H. Blackburniae look

flaccid, they are in reality fairly coriaceous and brittle, and

are entirely bordered by a cartilaginous ridge which is minutely

denticulate (a lens is required in order to see this character).

It will be noted in the figure that only the youngest leaf, which

is still erect, is complete. Of the rest, five show a withered

brown end, the apical portion having fallen away before they

were figured. In the remaining examples, where the ends are

green, the leaves were cut off in order to fit into the plate, but

even these had lost their apical portion earlier.

While the leaves are interesting from a taxonomic and

anatomical point of view, they are not so attractive to the

collector of succulents as other species in the genus. Most of

these have fleshy leaves which take on diverse shapes and are

arranged into a variety of attractive rosettes or on short stems.

They are also remarkable for the various ways in which they

are marked or adorned. Examples of Haivorthia species may

be seen on Plates 242, 248, 252, 290, 356, 792 and 818 of this

work.

With regard to the flowers it is interesting to note that

although the corolla-tube itself is very short, the free segments

fold closely together, and continue as a tube for half their

length, and then spread to form the two-lipped mouth. The

three outer segments were found to have red-brown medial

lines, while those of the three inner segments are distinctly

green.

Description: — Roots tuberous, fusiform, up to T7 cm.

diameter. Stem short, ± 2 cm. long and 1-2 cm. diameter.

Leaves 10, resolute (in mature plant as this is), at first erect,

then spreading, smooth, glabrous, linear, up to 20 cm. long,

6 mm. broad and 3 mm. thick, acute, margins with a very

narrow white cartilaginous border minutely dentate, upper

surface more or less flat, in places canaliculate, lower surface

convex. Inflorescences 1 to 2, developing successively, up to

30 cm. tall. Peduncle simple, brownish, bearing several sterile

bracts. Raceme up to 17-flowered. Bracts membranous,

clasping the pedicel and slightly exceeding it, about 6 mm.

long, acute, with a brownish mid-rib. Pedicels white, about

5 mm. long, jointed at the apex. Perianth white, about 1-7 cm.

long, with a short tube 2 mm. long, but the segments continuing

to form an outward curving tube and then spreading, 2-lipped,

two outer and one inner segment forming the upper lip and

two inner and one outer forming the lower lip ; outer segments

with brownish keels and inner segments with green keels and

slightly undulate margins. Stamens with white filaments

joined at the base; the alternate ones broader and shorter

bearing slightly larger anthers. Ovary green, 3 mm. long, on

a stipe 1 mm. long; style white, 1 mm. long. (National

Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 26,821.) — I. C. Verdoorn.

Plate 880. — Fig. 1, bract and pedicel with base of perianth; Fig. 2,

longitudinal section of perianth ; 3, androecium ; 4, gynaecium.

F.P.S.A., 1942.

INDEX TO VOLUME XXII

PLATE

ACACIA MELLEI 860

ACACIA ROBUSTA 851

ACROCEPHALUS CALLI ANTHU S . . . .847

ALOE LINEARIFOLIA 849

ALOE VERDOORNIAE 879

ANGRAECUM CONCHIFERUM 852

CHLOROPHYTUM LONGIPEDUNCULATUM . . 861

COTYLEDON RACEMOSA 848

CRASSULA MULTICAVA 871

CROTALARIA DURA 878

CYRTANTHUS AFFINIS 867

CYRTANTHUS SPECIOSUS 868

DAIS COTINIFOLIA 869

DIERAMA IGNEUM 874

DIERAMA LUTE 0 - ALBIDUM 845

DIERAMA MEDIUM var. MOSSII . . . .855

ERYTHROPHYSA TRANSVAALENSIS . . .857

EUPHORBIA BARNARDII 877

EUPHORBIA STOLONIFERA 863

HAWORTHIA BLACKBURNIAE 880

HOWORTHIA LONGIANA 842

HUERNIA PILLANSII 843

KNIPHOFIA RIVULARIS 866

LEON OTIS LEONURUS 876

LEUCADENDRON DISCOLOR 862

NERINE BOWDENI 841

ORNITHOGALUM DISTANS 870

PERIGLOSSUM KlSSNERIANUM . . . .844

POLYSTACHYA SIMILIS 846

RAPHIONACME HIRSUTA 853

SCILLA GALPINI 864

SCILLA NEGLECTA 865

STULTITIA CONJUNCTA 875

SUTERA MICROPHYLLA 873

TRICHOCAULON ANNULATUM 872

TRICHOCAULON PILLANSII 850

URGINEA DELAGOENSIS 858

URGINEA LYDENBURGENSIS 859

URGINEA MULTISETOSA 854

VELLOZIA RETINERVIS 856