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THE FLOWERING PLANTS

OF AFRICA 7.

A MAGAZINE CONTAINING COLOURED FIGURES WITH DESCRIPTIONS

OF THE FLOWERING PLANTS INDIGENOUS IN AFRICA

EDITED BY

R. ALLEN DYER, M.Sc., D.Sc., F.R.SS.Af.

Chief, Division of Botany and Plant Pathology, Department of

Agriculture, Pretoria ; and Director of the Botanical

Survey of the Union of South Africa

V«l. 27

UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA

Printed in the Union of South Africa by the Government Printer, Pretoria

J

HUGH LE MAY

TO

HUGH LE MAY

IN APPRECIATION OF HIS PUBLIC SPIRITED

GENEROSITY TO BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE IN

GENERAL AND TO “THE FLOWERING

PLANTS OF AFRICA” IN PARTICULAR,

THIS VOLUME IS GRATEFULLY DEDICATED.

PREFACE

With the publication of part I of volume 27, “ Flowering

Plants of Africa ” begins another chapter in its history. When

it was inaugurated in 1921, the Government Printer was not

in a position to prepare coloured plates of the quality required,

and it was mainly on this account that the work was done

oversea by Messrs. Lovell Reeves.

During recent years the difficulties confronting the pub-

lishing trade have become progressively more difficult, and it

thus seemed propitious to make use of the improved facilities

which the Government Printer is now able to offer in the

Union.

Hitherto the text has been in English only, but commenc-

ing with this volume, the information is now also made

available in Afrikaans. The English version will, however,

still serve for all purposes of the International Rules of

Botanical Nomenclature, as was the case in the past. This

new development is therefore a landmark in the advancement

of botanical literature in the Union and an event of import-

ance to those interested in Africana.

The Editor takes this opportunity of expressing his

appreciation to Messrs. Lovell Reeves for all they have done

in maintaining the high standard of reproduction in the 26

volumes already published, and to Dr. John Hutchinson for

seeing the majority of these through the press.

As in the case of volume 25, it will be necessary to extend

volume 27 over a period of two years, 1948 -49.

In consultation with the Government Printer it has been

decided that the charge for future parts will be 15s. each, and

the cost of bound volumes will be £4. 4s. in cloth, and £5. 10s.

in either red or green morocco.

R. ALLEN DYER.

Editor.

2212-1 E.

1041

Plate 1041.

CALODENDRUM CAPENSE.

Cape, Natal, Transvaal to Tanganyika Territory and Kenya.

Rutaceae.

Calodendrum capense {L.f.) Thunb. Nov. Gen. P. 2. p. 41-43 (1782) ;

Burtt Davy FI. Transvaal 479 (1932). Calodendron capense Thunb. ex

Sond. in FI. Cap. 1 : 371 (1859-60).

Commonly known as Wild or Cape Chestnut, this tree

has figured in the botanical literature of South Africa for

approaching 200 years. It was briefly described by the

younger Linnaeus in 1771 and again by Thunberg the following

year from specimens collected by himself in the Swellendam

district of the Cape Province during his travels of 1772-75.

The tree is by no means naturally restricted to the Cape

Province in distribution, for it is found commonly in tempera-

ate forests from the Cape into Natal and the northern Trans-

vaal along the Zoutpansberg range. It has even been

recorded as far north as Tanganyika Territory, from where

the second species in the genus was described by Engler.

Calodendrum capense is one of the few forest trees of

South Africa with conspicuous flowers, and when the many-

flowered panicles are at their best the trees stand out promin-

ently as large lilac patches in forests. Trees may attain a

height of about 60 feet with a stem diameter of 3 ft., but

when planted in the open they are more freely branched and

spread symmetrically without gaining any great height. The

tree has been cultivated from time to time in Europe with

varying success and has called forth much admiration for its

floral beauty, but being somewhat tender, it has never pro-

gressed far from the greenhouse. In warmer climates, both

here and abroad, it often does well in cultivation in the open ;

for instance, of a specimen grown in Sydney Botanical

Gardens, Australia, it was stated in the Gardeners' Chronicle,

1905 : “ Every December the Cape Chestnut is a beautiful

picture with its exuberance of brightly coloured flowers.

This summer, however, it has been especially gorgeous.”

The figured specimen was collected by Mrs. H. D. Letty

in December, 1946, growing on the Colenso Heights of

northern Natal. The petals are whitish, tinted with rose pink,

and stained with rose-red, shading to maroon near the base

of the lobes ; the staminodes are petaloid and with their

purple glands, greatly augment the general beauty of the

flowers.

Description ; — A small or large tree up to 60 ft. high,

evergreen or sometimes deciduous, depending on environment,

with a well-balanced canopy. Branches opposite or in threes,

terete, glabrous. Leaves decussate, petiolate, variable in

shape but more or less elliptic-oblong, up to 15 cm. long,

7 cm. broad, with a slightly undulate margin, with a prominent

central vein and delicate parallel lateral nerves less than 1 cm.

apart, pellucid-gland-dotted ; petiole 1-2 cm. long. Flowers '

in terminal panicles with mainly trichotomous branching ;

the young branches very minutely dull greenish-yellow, stel-

late-pubescent. Calyx 5-parted, segments ovate, 4-5 mm.

long, minutely and densely stellate-pubescent on outer surface

and also pubescent within. Petals 5, oblong-lanceolate,

4- 5 cm. long, usually less than 1 cm. broad, pubescent with

stellate and simple hairs of unequal length on outer surface,

undulate, whitish tinted with rose pink, stained with rose red,

shading to maroon near the base of the lobes. Stamens

10, inserted round the base of a short tubular disc ; 5 fertile,

5 alternate sterile, petaloid and prominently marked by

crimson glands especially on the margins. Ovary stipitate

on glandular stipe, somewhat less than 1 cm. long, obtusely

5- angled, rough and warty and densely furnished with very

minute stellate hairs ; capsule buff-coloured, septicidally

5-valved, with 2 seeds in each cell, dehiscing from below ;

the 5 valves remaining attached to the top of a central column.

(National Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 28214.) — R. A. Dyer.

Plate 1041. — Fig. 1, flowering twig, natural size ; 2, stellate hairs,

enlarged ; 3, fruit, natural size.

F.P.A., September, 1948.

1042

Plate 1042.

ERICA DIAPHANA.

Cape Province.

Ericaceae.

Erica diaphana Spreng. Syst. Veg. 2 : 178 (1825) ; Guthrie and Bolus

in FI. Cap. 4, 2 : 79 (1905).

This is another plate made possible by the success of

Mr. G. W. Reynolds in the cultivation of species of Erica on

his property at Northcliffe, Johannesburg. His plants were

raised from seed, which he obtained from the National

Botanic Gardens, Kirstenbosch, in 1942. By 1947, when

the plate was prepared, the plants had attained a height of

3-4 ft., and had been in flower from November to January

in their fourth year of flowering. Its natural tendency is to

branch from or near the base.

E. diaphana appears to have been figured first in Loddiges

Bot. Cab. 2, t. 177 (1818) under the name E. transparens, and

it is of interest to quote from the record made at that time

about its cultivation in England. “ This elegant heath . . .

propagates freely from cuttings, it has become pretty plenti-

ful.” It certainly is not plentiful in cultivation in South

Africa to-day, yet it is more attractive than some exotic plants

which occupy space in glasshouses. In its natural environ-

ment it extends along the coast from Mossel Bay to Humans-

dorp and does not spread into the higher inland mountains.

Features of E. diaphana, which make it of particular

interest, are the viscid and somewhat transparent corolla.

The colour of flowers illustrated was mainly purple, shading

through phlox-pink to magenta and white tipped on the

small lobes. On being pressed for the herbarium, however,

the colour changed to fairly uniform red.

Description : — An erect shrub 2-5 ft. high, branched

mainly from or near the base ; branches erect and spreading,

rigid, puberulous. Leaves 3-nate, erect, imbricate or some-

what spreading, linear to elliptic-oblong, sulcate, glabrous up

to about 7 mm. long, slightly more than 1 mm. broad.

Flowers mainly 3-nate, sometimes only 1 or 2 at tips of

branchlets aggregated towards the apex of the main branches ;

pedicels about 5 mm. long ; bracts approximate, foliaceous,

ovate, lanceolate, viscid, about 5 mm. long ; sepals like the

bracts, about 4 mm. long. Corolla sub-clavate tubular,

glabrous, waxy-transparent, viscid about 2-5 cm. long, mainly

purple, shading through phlox-pink to magenta and white

tipped on lobes. Stamens included ; filaments slightly

widened at the base ; anthers narrowly oblong, with pro-

jecting points at the base of the inner surface and with short

tails at back. (National Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 28216.) —

R. A. Dyer.

Plate 1042. — Fig. 1, branch natural size ; 2 and 2a, leaf under-side

and side view, x 5 ; 3, cross-section of leaf, x 9 ; 4, bracts, calyx and base

of corolla tube ; 5, anther, x 6 ; 6, anthers and stigma, x 2-5 ; 7, habit.

F.P.A., September, 1948.

t "I

‘nH 1043

Plate 1043.

LANNEA EDULIS.

Transvaal, Natal.

Anacardiaceae.

Lannea edulis Engler in Engl. & Prantl. Pflanzenfam. Nachtr. 1 : 214

(1897) ; Burtt Davy FI. Transv. 1, 2 ; 493 (1932) ; Verdoorn, Dept. Ag.

Bull. 185 (1938) ; Odina edulis Send, in FI. Cap. 1 : 503 (1859-60).

In the publication, Edible Wild Fruits of the Transvaal,

1938, I. C. Verdoorn states that this is another example of

what one might term a sunken tree. Underground there is

a robust branching stem, which may be up to 5 in. thick ;

while above ground there appear only a few inches of the

branchlets bearing leaves and inflorescences. This large

underground stem, anchored by a deep root system, renders

the plant independent of early rains for its spring flowering,

a characteristic shared by a number of other plants in the

Transvaal grassveld.

It is not unusual for L. edulis to flower before the new

leaves are produced, but often young leaves and flowers are

present at the same time, while occasionally flowers may be

produced on mature twigs in summer. Although the young

leaves with their whitish tomentum are conspicuous, the

small cream flowers are not, and it is only when the developing

fruits become scarlet in the sunlight and turn purplish-black

on maturity, that the plant becomes particularly attractive.

It is commonly known as “ wild grape ” or “ boom druif ”,

resembling the cultivated grape only distantly in the small

bunch-like clusters of fruits, which are pleasantly sour and

have only a meagre amount of juicy flesh surrounding a

relatively large seed.

The plant figured was taken on the eastern outskirts of

the Pretoria municipal boundary, not far from where, on the

Magaliesberg, this and several of the commonly associated

plants were first collected by Burke and Zeyher on their

historic expedition just over a century ago. L. edulis has a

very general distribution in central and southern Transvaal,

extending from the Waterberg district into the midlands of

Natal.

When first described by Sender in 1859-60, the plant was

placed in the genus Odina, but was transferred to Lannea by

Engler. A variety, glabrescens Engl., has been recognised,

but no more fundamental difference has been recorded than a

variation in density of pubescence and a smaller habit.

Description : — Plant with strong underground rootstock

and stems from which short aerial branches are produced

annually. Leaves petiolate, 25-40 cm. long with 2-4, usually

3, pairs of leaflets and one terminal leaflet ; leaflets up to

about 12 cm. long and 6-5 cm. broad, obovate or oblong-

ovate, obtuse, often mucronate, prominently veined on the

under surface, whitish tomentose above when young, later

glabrescent and shining ; the under surface densely rufous

tomentose with stellately branched hairs. Flowers small in

short panicles. Calyx 4-parted. Petals 4, cream, oblong,

about 2 mm. long. Drupe about 1 cm. long, subglobose,

slightly longer than broad, scarlet, becoming purplish-black

and edible when mature. (National Herbarium, Pretoria,

No. 27998.)— R. A. Dyer.

Plate 1043. — Fig. 1, young fruiting twig arising from underground

stem ; 2, undersurface of mature leaf ; both natural size ; 3, part of under-

surface of leaf, enlarged ; 4, single branched hair, enlarged ; 5, ripe fruit,

natural size ; 6, flowering twig, natural size ; 7, flower ; 8, calyx segment ;

9, longitudinal section of flower ; 10, petal ; 11, stamen ; 12, gynoecium ;

7-12 enlarged.

F.P.A., September, 1948.

1044

!

Plate 1044.

BULBINE STENOPHYLLA.

Transvaal, South West Africa.

Liliaceae.

Bulbine stenophylla Verdoorn sp. nov. ab. B. caespitosa Baker racemis

subcorymbosis facile distinguenda.

Planta acaulis, caespitosa. Folia 12-20, basi collis 5 cm. longis 5 mm.

diam. formatis, sub-teretia, supra leviter compressa, 7-20 cm. longa, 2 mm.

diam., apicem versus attenuata. Scapus erectus teres, 20 cm. longus,

3 mm. diam. Racemi sub-corymbosi vel conico-cylindrici, 4-10 cm.

longi, 4 cm. diam. Bracteae circa 3 mm. longae, basi 2 mm. latae deinde

abrupte-acuminatae. Pedicelli teretes 1-5 cm. longi, erecto-patentes, in

fructu 3 cm. longi, arcuato-erecti. Flores fragrantes. Perianthium'

persistens; segmenta patentia, 3 exteriora 7 mm. longa, 3 mm. lata, 3 interiora

similes sed latiora, sub apicem leviter incrassata et brunnea. Stamina

erecta ; filamenta flava, 3 exteriora 6 mm. longa, supra medium pilis flavis

longis barbata, 3 interiora 5 mm. longa, leviter densiora barbata ; pili

3 mm. longi; antherae flavae 1-5 mm. longae. Gynoecium citrinum ;

ovarium 2-5 mm. longum, 2 mm. diam. ; stylus 3-5 mm. longus ; stigma

parva terminalia. Capsula oblongo-globosa, 3 locularia ; semina plus

minusve triquetra.

Transvaal : Johannesburg, Jeppestown ridge, Gilfillan 6075 ;

Houghton Estate, Moss 4076; Carolina, Nicholson 4612; Potchefstroom,

Goossens 1698 ; Pretoria, Hennops River, Leeman, no number ; Waterberg,

Towoomba, Sidey in National Herbarium, Pretoria, 28293 (type) ; near

Nylstroom, Burtt Davy 2058 ; S.W.A. : Otavital, Dinter 5297 ; Groot-

fontein, Schoenf elder S. 318.

In the National Herbarium there is a specimen (collected

by the late Professor C. E. Moss, in October, 1917, on

Houghton Estate, Johannesburg) which obviously agrees

with the species figured here. On the label in his hand-

writing is the manuscript name Bulbine stenophylla. This

name was never published by Professor Moss, and it is now

a pleasure to adopt it out of respect for him, who did so much

for systematic botany in the Transvaal.

B. stenophylla is easily distinguished by its very caespitose

habit and the slender basal column of the tufts of leaves

together with a sub-corymbose inflorescence. It is one of

the smaller species in the group that has more or less terete

leaves. In this respect it is nearest B. namaensis Bkr. collected

at Aus in S.W. Africa. Judging from a specimen, Dinter

6044, in the National Herb^arium, Pretoria, named B.

namaensis, it is obvious that our species is distinct from it,

for the capsules of B. namaensis are inflated and the seeds

winged ; also it appears to be a still smaller plant and the

racemes more elongated.

Species of Bulbine are figured on Plates 217, 377, 489 and

1019 of this work. In the description of the last mentioned

some characteristics of the genus are given. These can be

seen in the species depicted here ; the rhizome when freshly

cut is pinkish ; the flowers open in strong daylight and the

colour is intensified by the yellow hairs on the filaments.

The flowers are fragrant.

The distribution of the species is from Carolina in the

Highveld of the Transvaal, through Pretoria into the Water-

berg. In S.W.A. it is recorded from the Grootfontein area.

The specimen figured here was collected on the Towoomba

Pasture Research Station about four miles east of Warmbaths.

The collector reports that it grows in small clumps which are

scattered in open grassy patches in the bush veld. (Speci-

mens collected in the Pietersburg area, Pole Evans 37^ and

Southam, no number, may belong to this species, but the

pedicels are longer and more slender and the plants require

further study before a specific identification can be made.)

Description. — Rootstock caespitose, pinkish when cut, bearing many

terete fleshy roots below and tufts of leaves above which are united at the

base in a slender cylindrical column ; column of leaf base whitish, about

5 cm. long and 5 mm. diam. Leaves green, about 12 to 20 in a cluster,

fleshy, sub-terete, somewhat compressed, rounded on one side and flat or

slightly channelled on the other, attenuate to the acute apex, base fused

into the column, 7-20 cm. long or longer, about 2 mm. diam. Scape green,

terete, erect (sometimes curving in and out) about 20 cm. long and 3 mm.

diam. Racemes overtopping the leaves, sub-corymbose to conical-cylindric,

4-10 cm. long and 4 cm. diam. Bracts abruptly acuminate from a broad

base about 3 mm. long and 2 mm. broad at base. Pedicels green, terete,

1 -5 cm. long, elongating to 3 cm. in fruit, spreading erect, becoming arcuate

erect in fruit. Flowers sweetly scented, glistening lemon yellow, open in

strong daylight. Perianth segments spreading, 7 mm. long and 3 mm.

broad ; the 3 inner slightly broader than the 3 outer, yellow, with a sub-

apical brownish slightly thickened area, withered perianth persistant capping

the capsule. Stamens erect, with yellow filaments, 3 outer 6 mm. long

with a ring of long yellow hairs borne about or above the centre, 3 inner

5 mm. long, slightly more densely barbate in upper half, hairs about 3 mm.

long ; anthers yellow 1 • 5 mm. long. Gynoecium lemon yellow ; ovary

2-5 by 2 mm. ; style 3-5 mm. long, slender with a small apical stigma.

Capsule oblong globose (the withered perianth persisting at the apex of the

capsule) 3-locular, septa thick ; seeds about 3-sided, one side convex,

two flat (not winged). (National Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 28293.) — I. C.

Verdoorn.

Plate 1044. — Fig. 1, whole plant in colour ; 2, cross-section of leaf ;

3, whole flower, x 3 ; 4, an outer and inner segment and an outer and inner

stamen, x 3 ; 5, fruiting pedicel and capsule with the persistent perianth

still capping it ; 6, cross-section of ovary showing the seeds fitting tightly

in the cells, x 3 ; 7, habit.

F.P.A., September, 1948.

1045

Plate 1045.

CEROPEGIA TURRICULA.

Transvaal.

Asclepiadaceae.

Ceropegia turricula E. A. Bruce in Kew Bull. 1936 : 491.

On plate 902, the species Ceropegia insignis R. A. Dyer

was described and figured for the first time. The present

plant is similar to it in general habit, but differs markedly

in the corolla lobes, which are shorter, not twisted, and are

bearded with long slightly clavate hairs in the upper half.

Some species of Ceropegia with tuberous rootstocks are

common in limited areas, but experience indicates that they

are generally rather sparsely distributed, while some are very

rare.

C. turricula is known only from the Waterberg district

of the Transvaal. Galpin, who, as is well known, was

regarded as the prince of collectors, recorded the following

field note : “ Very rare, only one specimen seen in six years.

The tubers of this and allied species of Ceropegia are eaten

by natives and plants are in process of extinction.”

The bent and bearded corolla lobes of C. turricula,

forming a turret-like structure, are distinctive in the genus.

The description below, drawn up from a living specimen

differs in certain respects from the type description, mainly,

on account of the fact that the latter was based on dried

material.

Description : — An unbranched tuberous-rooted herb up

to about 30 cm. tall. Tuber flattened on top and bottom,

about 4-5 cm. in diam., with a short neck-like stem under-

ground, which annually produces a single herbaceous stem

above ground. Stem slender, 1 • 5 mm. thick, minutely

pubescent in the upper portion ; basal half nearly nude with

a pair of rudimentary leaves at base, another pair 5 cm. above,

and another pair of reduced leaves 2*5 cm. long and 3 mm.

board 10 cm. from base, leafy above. Leaves linear up to

12 cm. long and 5 mm. broad, with midrib prominent on the

lower surface and with internodes 1-2 cm. long. Flowers

solitary at a node, spreading, on a pedicel laterally produced

and subtended by a minute bracteole, 2 or more produced

successively as the plant matures. Pedicel about 1*75 cm.

long, thinly puberulous, whitish. Calyx divided nearly to

base ; segments linear, about 1 cm. long. Corolla up to

about 6-5 cm. long, with a somewhat flat-topped 5-angled

bud (viewed from above), glabrous outside ; tube 4-75 cm.

long, with an inflated base 7 mm. diam., slender waist 3 • 5 mm.

diam. and thence expanded to 1*75 cm. at the throat, pale

green with purplish-brown mottling outside, with the inflated

portion white at the base within and purple ribbed above,

with long purple hairs within the throat and on the base of

the lobes ; lobes united at the tips into a somewhat cage-like

structure, 1-75 cm. long, 6 mm. broad near apex, becoming

strongly replicate, strongly keeled down inner face, bent

sideways giving the lobes a half-twisted appearance, furnished

with long, slightly clavate hairs towards their tips, with their

inner face pale green at the base, with a transverse white and

a dark purple band about the middle and green in the upper

half. Outer corona of 5 bifid lobes ; the lobes suberect

1-5 mm. long with the central division about 1 mm. deep,

with a few long radiating white hairs near the tips, and

attached at the base to the inner lobes : inner corona-lobes

4 mm. long, cohering for most of their length above the

column. (National Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 28291.) —

R. A. Dyer.

Plate 1045. — Fig. 1, tuber, natural size ; 2, top of stem, natural size ;

3, lobe of corolla, x 3 ; 4, corona, x 10 ; 5, one outer corona-lobe.

F.P.A., September, 1948.

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1046

Plate 1046.

COTYLEDON GRANDIFLORA.

Cape Province.

Crassulaceae.

Cotyledon grandiflora Burm. f. FI. Cap. Prod. 13 (1768) ; M. R.

Levyns FI. Cap. Peninsula 135 (1929) ; C. tuberculosa Lam. Encyc. 3 : 139

(1783-1808) ; Harv. in FI. Cap. 2 : 375 (1861-2).

Cotyledon grandiflora is one of the five species of Cotyle-

don from the Cape Peninsula, according to M. R. Levyns.

Levyns in Flora Cape Peninsula (1929) remarks that it is

readily distinguished by the fact that the leaves and flowers

appear at different seasons and that it has slightly irregular

flowers. Another interesting feature of the species is the

manner in which the succulent leaves wither and finally break

off, leaving a small, hard, almost spinescent, tip to the

tubercles. The species is frequent on the peninsula and flowers

from November to February. The flowers of the present

plate were painted from a specimen collected near Cape Point

by Mr. C. A. Smith in 1928, but owing to the character of the

species it was not then possible to illustrate the leaves as well.

These were included in 1947 by the courtesy of Professor

R. H. Compton, who sent material from Lion’s Head, at

1,500 ft. altitude.

From our illustration it will be seen that the flowers are

large and attractive, and it is not surprising that we find a

good drawing of a plant in flower published as early as 1738,

in Burmann’s work of that date entitled Rariorum Afr.

Plantarum. It was only given the specific epithet grandiflora

in 1768 by Burmann, the younger, in his Flora Capensis.

In Flora Capensis, 1861-62, Harvey recorded the species

under the name C. tuberculosa and made no mention whatever

of the name C. grandiflora. In Phil. Mag. 1828, Haworth

published the name C. interjecta, which must also be regarded

as a synonym of C. grandiflora Burm. f.

Description : — Stem usually fairly short, less than

30 cm. tall, sparingly branched, fleshy, 2-3 cm. thick, with a

tuft of spirally inserted leaves at the apex in early spring,

tuberculate. Leaves arising from a tuberculate base, linear,

linear-oblong, or ob-linear-lanceolate, flat or concave on the

upper surface, glabrous, soft, fleshy, withering with age

towards the middle of summer and breaking off above the

base, leaving a hard, almost spinescent tip to the tubercle.

Peduncle produced after withering of leaves, elongate, up to

about 30 cm. tall, angular, laxly furnished with bracts ; bracts

withering with age ; the base semi-persistent. Flowers

4-10, suberect, viscid-pubescent in a simple raceme or in a

slightly branched panicle ; pedicels 1-2 cm. long ; calyx up

to about 1 • 5 cm. long with lanceolate segments. Corolla

4 -5-6 -5 cm. long, orange-red ; tube about two-thirds total

length of corolla, slightly constricted just above the calyx,

dilated at the centre and again constricted just below the

lobes ; lobes oblong-lanceolate, recurved at first and spread-

ing regularly, but becoming somewhat bilabiate. Stamens

inserted about 1 cm. from the base of the corolla tube ; the

anthers purple, the shorter 5 ripening first, reaching nearly

to the mouth of the corolla tube. Carpels slender, slightly

shorter than the corolla tube ; style cylindric ; squamae

oblong with a slightly constricted middle. (C. A. Smith,

5761, in National Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 28245, and

R. H. Compton in National Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 28246.)

— R. A. Dyer.

Plate 1046. — Fig. I, plant in flower ; 2, top of plant in leaf ; 3, longi-

tudinal section of flower.

F.P.A., September, 1948.

1047

Plate 1047.

CARALLUMA TUBIFORMIS.

Kenya Colony.

Asclepiadaceae,

Caralluma tubiformis E. A. Bruce and P. R. O. Bally in Cactus and

Succulent Journal America, 13 : 167 (1941) ; Journ. East Afr. Nat. Hist.

Soc. 16 : 157 and pi. 31, Fig. 17 (1942).

The plant figured was collected on the banks of the Uasu

Nyiro River, near Archer’s Post, about 60 miles N.N.E, of

Mount Kenya. Mrs. Copley, the wife of the Fish Warden

of Kenya Colony, who is a keen collector of succulents and

orchids, discovered the plant when she was accompanying

her husband on one of his river patrolling expeditions. C.

tubiformis was growing on the rocky banks of the river under

“ Dum Palms ” and in association with Caralluma retro-

spiciens (Ehrenb.) N.E.Br., C. speciosa (N.E.Br.) N.E.Br.,

and C. priogonium K. Schum., a locality rich in Stapeliads,

and a delight to the collector’s eye. It was not in flower at

the time, and was collected as C. dummeri (N.E.Br.) White

and Sloane, which has a comparable habit of growth, though

rather sturdier. Later, when the plant flowered in cultivation,

it was a surprise to discover that, though the stiff white

bristles on the corolla were reminiscent of C. dummeri, the

shape of the flower was entirely different, though very similar

to C. distincta E. A. Bruce, illustrated on the following plate.

Is our species perhaps, after all, a hybrid between C. dummeri

and C. distincta ? The plant has unfortunately not been

recollected, but it is hoped that lovers of succulents in Kenya

will keep a look out for it, so that further information on this

point can be obtained.

Caralluma tubiformis, as the specific epithet implies, is

characterized by a comparatively long tubular corolla. This

feature is uncommon in the genus, though it occurs in the

closely allied C. distincta. The tubular corolla is also present

in two Arabian species, and in C. sacculata, from Abyssinia,

another near ally of C. tubiformis, which has a similar coronal

structure. In these two species the outer corona-lobes are

represented by five small, deep sacks or pouches, whilst the

inner ones are incumbent over the anthers (Figs. 2 and 3).

Another unusual feature, shared also by C. distincta, is the

more or less erect corolla-lobes, which in our species are

covered with stilf, white, downward-pointing bristles, perhaps

forming a mechanical aid to pollination.

Description : — Succulent, unbranched plant, 12-15 cm.

high. Stems erect, pale green, with irregular maroon and

dark green mottlings, 1-2-1 *4 cm. in diam. (excluding the

teeth), sub-cylindrical or four-angled, glabrous ; teeth oppo-

site and decussate, 1-5-1 -7 cm. long, 5 mm. broad at the

base, fleshy, conical, ascending, tapering to a fine point.

Flowers solitary, in the axils of the teeth in the upper part

of the stem. Pedicels 5-8 mm. long, fleshy, glabrous, green,

striated with purple. Calyx-lobes ovate-lanceolate, about

5 mm. long, glabrous. Corolla campanulate, about 2-5 cm.

long and 2-5 cm. wide across the more or less erect lobes ;

tube 1-2 cm. long and about 1 cm. in diameter, pale green

with longitudinal, raised, purple markings on the outer

surface ; inner surface dark purple, glabrous below, but

covered with stiff, white, downward pointing bristles in the

upper part ; lobes suberect, triangular, with reflexed margins,

about 1 cm. long and 6 mm. broad at the base, the outer

surface, glabrous, pale green, sparsely marked with purple,

the inner surface dark, purplish-brown, covered with coarse

white bristles. Corona purplish-brown, double, inner and

outer fused into one ; outer lobes consisting of five deep,

rounded pouches with a thickened rim, 3-5 mm. high and

2 mm. wide across the narrowed opening ; inner corona-

lobes lanceolate, subacute, with a longitudinal, dorsal ridge,

incumbent over the anthers, not quite touching one another.

(Copley in Coryndon Museum Herbarium, Nairobi.) — E. A.

Bruce and P. R. O. Bally.

Plate 1047. — Fig. 1, plant, natural size ; 2, corona (from above)

X 3-5 ; corona (from the side) x 3-5.

F.P.A., September, 1948.

ii'

. '

ll

1048

Plate 1048.

CARALLUMA DISTINCTA.

Kenya, Tanganyika,

Asclepiadaceae.

Caralluma distincta E. A. Bruce in Hooker’s leones Plantarum t. 3415

(1940) ; Journ. East Afr. Nat. Hist. Soc. 16 ; 157 and pi. 50, Fig. 16 (1942).

This remarkable plant was first discovered by Mr. P. J.

Greenway, Systematic Botanist at the Agricultural Research

Station, Amani. He found it growing in the Umba Steppe

District, under the shade of Acacias in open Acacia-Desert-

grass country ; the actual locality was between Moa and

Mwakijembi in Tanganyika Territory, but quite close to the

Kenya border. Some time later, in January, 1940, Capt.

A. T. A. Ritchie collected the species at Kosi, in Kenya

Colony, about 200 miles north of the original locality, but in

similar country ; the plant was growing in the shelter of low

bushes, on sandy soil in open desert scrub.

The specimen figured in the accompanying plate was

drawn from a living plant cultivated by Mr. Bally in his own

garden at Nairobi, and originally collected at Kosi in Kenya.

The plants are fairly easy to grow in cultivation, provided

they are kept in dry conditions, and both Col. Boscawen and

Mrs. Moreau have been successful in raising them in their

gardens in Tanganyika. Unfortunately, like other Stapelieae,

they are hable to attack by “ black rot ” or “ black fungus ”

disease when grown in the open, though if grown under cover

plants are rarely subject to this scourge.

Our species is most closely allied to C. tubiformis Bruce

and BaUy, figured on the preceding page. It has a similar

campanulate corolla-tube and semi-erect lobes, but differs in

the larger flowers and absence of visible bristles, though

there is a band of these within the tube just above the swollen

base. These apparently act as a trap for small insects effecting

pollination, an arrangement also present in the genus Cew-

pegia.

The illustration shows the position of the corolla-lobes

in the mature flower ; when the flower fades the lobes close

up.

2212-2 E,

C. distincta E. A. Bruce has rather an unusual form of

growth, comparable to C. piaranthoides Oberm. and to some

species of Duvalia. The procumbent stems are linked together

in a sequence of loose joints and form an open mat on the

surface of the ground, often in association with Edithcolea

grandis N.E.Br.

Description : — A perennial, succulent, decumbent herb,

pale green in colour mottled with dark green and maroon.

Stems sparsely branched ; branches sub-cylindrical, narrowed

to the base, forming loose joints with one another, 6-8 cm.

long, 5-12 mm. in diameter, excluding the teeth ; teeth

opposite and decussate, slender, tapering to a narrow tip,

up to 2 cm. long. Flowers produced near the apex of the

stem, 1-2 from each flowering eye. Pedicel about 5 mm.

long, fleshy, glabrous. Calyx-lobes 5-6 mm. long, ovate or

ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, glabrous. Corolla about 3 cm.

long and 3-3-5 cm. in diameter across the lobes ; tube

campanulate, pale pinkish-white with purple striated markings,

slightly swollen at the base and contracted at the mouth,

about 1-5 cm. long and 1 cm. in diameter at the throat,

glabrous ; inner surface pale coffee-coloured, glabrous

except for a narrow band of small, downward-pointing

bristles near the base of the tube ; lobes suberect with

reflexed margins, 1-8 cm. long and 1 cm. broad at the base,

subacute, glabrous and pale whitish-pink outside, rugulose

and dark chocolate-brown inside. Corona double, interior

and exterior fused into one body, and united into a basal

cup about 2 mm. high ; outer lobes forming 5 shallow,

notched, kidney-shaped pockets with a fleshy rim, dark

purplish-brown outside, pale buff inside ; inner lobes tri-

angular at the base, laterally compressed in the upper part

into a sharp ridge with a dorsal horn-like appendage, the

apical portion incumbent on the backs of the anthers, not

quite meeting in the centre. (Bally in Coryndon Museum,

Nairobi.) — E. A. Bruce and P. R. O. Bally.

Plate 1048. — Fig. 1, habit specimen, natural size ; 2, vertical section

of corolla, showing corona at the base, natural size ; 3, corona, from

above, x 4 ; 4, corona from the side, x 4.

F.P.A., September, 1948.

1049

Plate 1049.

KALANCHOE MARMORATA.

Eritrea, Abyssinia, Somaliland.

Crassulaceae.

Kalanchoe marmorata Bak. in Card. Chron. Ser. 3, 12 : 300 (1892) ;

Curtis’s Bot. Mag. t. 7333 (1894) ; Bull Herb. Boiss. Ser. 2, 8 : 28 (1908) ;

Engl. & Prantl. Pflzfam. 2, 18a : 405 (1930). K. grandiflora A. Rich,

non Wight & Arn, Tent. FI. Abyss. 1 : 310 (1847) ; Gartenflora 42 : t.

1394 (1893). K. grandiflora A. Rich. var. angustipetala Engl, in Ann. 1st.

Bot. Rom. 9 : 251 (1902). K. kelleriana Schinz. in Bull. Herb. Boiss. 4 :

814 (1896). K. somaliensis Bak. in Kew Bull. 214 (1895) ; Bot. Mag. t. 7831

(1902). K. macrantha Bak. in Gard. Chron. Ser. 3, 12 : 300 (1892).

This attractive plant has been photographed and figured

many times under several different names. It is an interesting

pot plant and has been in cultivation for many years. In

addition to the showy, white, tubular flowers, the fleshy leaves,

which are often spotted, are a decoration in themselves.

In recent years there seems to have been some difference

of opinion as to whether the above names represented one

or several species. When Baker described K. somaliensis

as a new species he said it was near K. marmorata, but did not

state the differences. The types of K. marmorata and K.

somaliensis and an authentic specimen of K. kelleriana have

been examined at Kew and the author of this note can find

no reliable characters on which to separate them. The

spotting and serration of the leaves and the length of the

calyx-lobes varies in a number of plants, but there appears

to be so much overlapping in these characters that it would

not be satisfactory to use them for specific differentiation.

One collector says that, when he first saw the plant in Somali-

land the leaves were very spotted, but when grown in his

greenhouse there was little trace of spots. Hamet, who

revised the genus in 1908, considers the species to be synony-

mous. He says that plain and spotted leaves can be found

on the same plant and that intermediate forms exist between

plants with ovate-lanceolate sepals and those with lanceolate

acuminate ones. It would be useful if other collectors in

Abyssinia and Somaliland would make notes both on the wild

2212-3 E.

and cultivated plants in order to solve the above-mentioned

difficulties in classification.

The specimen figured here was grown in the gardens

of the National Herbarium, Pretoria, where it flowered in

July, 1942. It was originally collected by Major McLoughlin

at Addis Ababa in Abyssinia.

Description : — A somewhat fleshy, glabrous plant.

Stem simple, ascending, about 75 cm. high and 1-5 cm.

diameter near the base, marked with old leaf scars in the

lower part, light green and glaucous above. Leaves sessile

or subsessile, fleshy, glaucous, green, opposite and decussate,

spreading, oblong-obovate, rounded at the apex, narrowed

to the base, up to 10 cm. long and 4 cm. broad, margins

undulate. Inflorescence a large, lax, panicled cyme. Bracts

linear-lanceolate, about 1-5 cm. long. Pedicels slender,

about 1-5 cm. long. Calyx-lobes linear-lanceolate, about

1 cm. long and nearly 2 mm. broad at the base, acuminate.

Corolla white; tube more or less 4-angled, slightly enlarged

at the base and throat, about 9-5 cm. long, 3-4 mm. in

diameter ; lobes lanceolate, recurved, up to 2 cm. long and

8 mm. broad at the base, acuminate at the apex. Stamens 8,

inserted on the corolla in two whorls in the upper part of the

tube; upper whorl just protruding from the throat of the

tube. Squamae linear, 1 cm. long, deeply emarginate. Pistil

7-5 cm. long. Ovary narrowly elongate-ovoid, about

1 -5 cm. long and 5 mm. in diameter near the base. Styles 4,

filiform, about 6 cm. long; stigmas small terminal. (National

Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 27028.) — E. A. Bruce.

Plate 1049. — Fig. 1, flowering branch, natural size ; 2, corolla split

open, showing stamens, natural size ; 3, pistil and squamae, natural

size ; 4, habit in cultivation.

F.P.A., September, 1948.

1050

5.

Plate 1050.

HIBISCUS IRRITANS.

Transvaal, Bechuanaland.

Malvaceae.

Hibiscus irritans R. A. Dyer nom. nov., H. cordatus Harv. in FI. Cap. 1 :

172 (1859-60) ; Burtt Davy in Flora Transvaal 281 (1932) non Dietrich,

Synopsis Plantarum, etc., 4 : 829 (1839-52).

There are many species of Hibiscus in Africa with large

attractive flowers, yet few have been figured, and fewer still

have found their way into general cultivation. The main

reason for this is that they rarely form attractively shaped

bushes and the flowers are fugaceous, lasting less than a full

day and being almost useless as cut flowers. However, the

showy flowers greatly enrich the beauty of the countryside,

and if groups of plants are established in gardens in a natural

setting, they repay the effort of their introduction.

Hibiscus diver sifolius, a species with similar flowers to

those reproduced here, was figured under plate 514, vol. 13,

and there too will be found information on the genus as a

whole. It will be noted from the heading of this text that

our plant has previously been known under the name H.

cordatus Harv., but owing to the earlier use of the epithet by

Dietrich for a different plant, it cannot be retained here.

The new epithet irritans refers to the effect of the sharp stellate

hairs, which are present on practically all parts of the plant.

These hairs are readily detached on handling, and once

imbedded in the flesh, are not easily removed, a feature of a

number of other species as well. In this case the irritation

is mechanical and not chemical.

H. irritans is found frequently in the Pretoria district,

Transvaal, especially on rocky outcrops of the Magaliesberg,

where the type material was collected by Burke and Zeyher

over 100 years ago. The illustrated material was from here

also. The species has been recorded in several other localities

of the Transvaal to the east, west (to Bechuanaland) and to

the north also. Some specimens which are doubtfully

accepted as forms of this species may later prove to justify

specific separation.

Description : — A biennial or perennial herb branching

sparingly at or near the base and with one or two stiffly erect

wiry branches rising to a height of about 3 ft., furnished

almost throughout with sharp irritant, simple or stellate, long

hairs (readily detached on handling) mixed with soft, short,

simple or stellate, sometimes glandular-tipped hairs. Leaves

on the main stems considerably larger than those on short

axillary branchlets ; petiole up to 7 cm. long ; blade ovate

to ovate-oblong, cordate, slightly 3-, rarely 5-lobed, the

lobing being in the lower half, up to about 6 cm. long and

4-5 cm. broad across the lobes, with crenate margin, thinly

furnished on the lower surface with similar hairs to those

on stem and with a few on the upper surface. Flowers opening

singly up the stems, in succession daily. Peduncles about

equal to the petioles, articulated about 1*75 cm. below the

calyx (measurements relatively shorter on lateral branchlets).

Epicalyx inconspicuous, of filiform lobes considerably shorter

than the calyx. Calyx up to about 2 cm. long, divided

beyond half its length, into lanceolate lobes. Corolla with a

spread of about 8 cm. (variable according to conditions) ;

lobes obovate-oblong, obtuse, 4-5 cm. long, 2-2-25 cm.

broad, yellow with a dark claret-coloured blotch about 1 cm.

long at the base, pinkish on the overlapping portions at the

base and becoming pinkish, with pubescence on the outer

surface and sometimes ciliate in young stage. Staminal

column tubular, about 1-5 cm. long, stamens numerous with

yellow anthers. Styles extending through the staminal tube

with a total length of 2-5 cm., crimson-coloured ; stigmas

subcapitate covered with strong hairs. (National Herbarium,

Pretoria, No. 28215.) — R. A. Dyer.

Plate 1050. — Figs. 1 and 2, twigs natural size ; 3, staminal column with

protruding styles, x 5 ; 4, top of staminal tube, with section of style, x 10 ;

5, same opened out, x 8 ; 6, petiole section showing simple and stellate

long hairs and shorter subglandular hairs, x 10 ; 7, habit.

F.P.A., September, 1948.

1051

Plate 1051.

PLECTRANTHUS CILIATUS.

Eastern Cape, Natal.

Labiatae.

Plectranthus cUiatus E. Mev. Comm. 227 (1837); Cooke in FI. Cap.

5, 1 : 275 (1912).

When the plant figured here flowered in the gardens of

the National Herbarium, Pretoria, in March 1947, it was

possible at last to identify the species for an enquirer in Sweden.

In July the previous year he had sent to S. Africa a leaf of a

species of Plectranthus which had been introduced into Sweden

in 1932. Plants were flourishing there in several private

gardens as well as in the public gardens at Gothenburg and it

was alleged that the plant had come from South Africa and

that it was known to be growing in the Joubert Park, Johan-

nesburg. The recipient of the leaf, Mr. Olaf Waern, began

a painstaking search for its name and origin and this lead

eventually to the query to this Division by Mr. Olaf Waern.

A plant with identical leaves was actually found in Joubert

Park, and when it at last flowered here it proved to be Plec-

tranthus ciliatus, which grows in the eastern region of the Cape

and in Natal. It is recorded from such places as the “ edges

of the woods ” in Kentani, “ in the forests ” and “ along

waterfalls ” in Zululand. Its trailing habit makes it a very

charming pot plant in cultivation. The tips of the branches

turn up bearing erect the racemes of delicate 2-lipped flowers,

which are a bluey-white colour with violet-purple dots on the

inner faces of the lobes. The leaves are turgid and gracefully

spreading, forest-green above and maroon-purple below except

round the green crenate margin. The hairs on the branches

and petioles are diaphanous with maroon-purple sap giving

the characteristic touch of colour to the plant. This plant

which has become quite popular in Sweden, is referred to as

the “ Karlsbergia Hanging Plant ” after Mrs. Karlsberg, who

introduced it.

Description: — Suffrutex with trailing branches up to

about 50 cm. long. Branches quadrate, pubescent with

diaphanous hairs, especially on the angles, the hairs with

maroon-purple sap giving the maroon-purple colour to the

branches, becoming naked on the older parts, the apex of the

branches are upturned and terminated by the raceme. Leaves

petioled, decussate, blade ovate cuneate 2-5 to 7 cm. long and

1 - 7 to 4 - 5 cm. broad, upper surface forest-green, sparsely hairy

and with conspicuously impressed mid-rib and veins; under

surface maroon-purple (except round the margins which are

green) glandular-pitted and with prominent hairy midrib and

veins, margins crenate and ciliate, apex acute; petiole up to

1 ' 3 cm. long, flattened, villose with purplish hairs especially on

margins. Inflorescence a terminal raceme or panicle, about

7 cm. long; flowers in verticils of about 6, up to 1-3 cm. apart;

pedicels slender about 1 -4 cm. long, microscopically glandular

and shortly pubescent. Calyx campanulate 5-toothed,

glandular on outer surface, upper tooth ovate, acute, about 3

mm. long, 1 -5 mm. broad, ciliate, the rest lanceolate subulate,

acute, ciliate, the lateral being 2 mm. long, and the two lower

united at the base, 2*5 mm. long. Corolla bluish-white with

violet-purple dots on the inner face of the lobes, about 1 • 5 cm.

long, obscurely and sparsely pubescent with gland-tipped hairs;

tube laterally compressed, obtusely saccate on one side above

the base, about 8 mm. long; upper lip about 8 mm. long, 3-

lobed with the upper lobe shallowly bi-lobed and the lateral

lobes small, about 4 mm. long; lower lip 7 mm. long, canalicu-

late, retuse at the apex. Stamens 4, inserted in the throat on

lower side of tube, filaments decurrent on tube below and free

above, decurved on to the lower lip, straightening afterwards,

free portion of inner pair 7 mm. long, of outer pair 5 mm. long;

anthers blue-violet, 0-5 mm. long, cells confluent. Nutlets 4,

arranged on a disc which is produced on one side; style arising

from the centre of the nutlets, white, about 1-25 cm. long.

(National Herbarium, Pretoria, No. 28230.) — I. C. Verdoorn.

Plate 1051. — Fig. 1, tip of branch with inflorescence, natural size; 2,

leaf showing lower surface; 3, flower, x 4; 4, stamens showing insertion on

corolla, X 3; 5, stigma, style, 4 nutlets and disc, x 4; 6, habit.

F.P.A., January 1949.

1052

Plate 1052.

KALANCHOE BRACHYCALYX.

Abyssinia.

Crassulaceae.

Kalanchoe brachycalyx A. Rich. Tent. FI. Abyss. 1: 312 (1847); FI.

Trop. Afr. 2; 396 (1871) in part.

Kalanchoe brachycalyx was originally collected by Quartin

Dillon and Petit over a hundred years ago, at Mai Gouagoua

in the Province of Tigre, Northern Abyssinia. This specimen

is preserved in Richard’s Herbarium in Paris and consists of

one small plant without leaves and with an imperfect in-

florescence, so that it is almost impossible to get a true picture

of the species. If collectors could search for the plant again

in its original locality and obtain good material, it would be a

most valuable addition to our knowledge of the species.

It is quite possible that Kalanchoe diversa N.E. Br. from

Somaliland, may be a synonym of K. brachycalyx. It has a

similar small calyx with broad lobes, and the same type of

pubescence, though rather less dense, but the whole plant

appears to be rather larger and the leaves are distinctly

petiolate. The leaves of K. brachycalyx are unknown, but in

the plant figured here, which agrees very well with K. brachy-

calyx in size, pubescence and flowering characters, the leaves

are sessile or subsessile. One wonders whether the petiolate

leaf is a constant character or a variable one. This can only be

verified by examining a number of specimens, and here

collectors can assist by obtaining complete material.

As shown above, the genus Kalanchoe is a very difficult

one from a taxonomic aspect and is sadly in need of revision,

but before this can be done it is necessary for collectors in the

field to co-operate and obtain good material of complete plants

with full notes, giving variation in pubescence, flower colour,

shape, dentation and petiolation of cauline and basal leaves,

relative size of calyx to corolla and other salient features.

Kalanchoe is an attractive and decorative genus and a

number of species do well in cultivation, so it would be

satisfactory if some of these taxonomic problems could be

cleared up, so that one could be sure of giving ones plants the

correct name.

The plant figured here flowered at the National Herb-

arium, Pretoria, in July 1942, and was originally collected by

Major McLoughlin in the Crater Lake, Bishoftii Adda, 30

miles south-east of Addis Ababa in southern Abyssinia.

Description: — An unbranched succulent plant 1-1 1 ft.

high. Stem erect, simple, terete, glandular-pubescent in the

upper part, glabrous below, 1 cm. in diameter at the base

narrowing to 0-5 cm. above. Leaves thick, fleshy, glabrous,

sessile or subsessile, oblong or oblong-ovate, 5-7 cm. long, 3-4

cm. broad, irregularly dentate, obtuse at the apex, somewhat

narrowed to the base. Inflorescence a small elongate panicled

cyme, glandular-pubescent throughout. Calyx-lobes ovate

or ovate-oblong about 4 mm. long, 1 *6 mm. broad at the base,

glandular-pubescent, shortly cohering at the base, acute or

subacute at the apex. Corolla, orange, sparsely glandular-

pubescent; tube 1*2 cm. long, inflated at the base to about

4 mm. diameter, narrowed to just under 2 mm. at the throat,

bluntly 4-angled; lobes spreading, oblong-ovate, 4*5 mm.

long, 3-5 mm. broad, rounded and somewhat apiculate at the

apex. Stamens in 2 series, the lower affixed about a third

down the corolla-tube, the upper in the throat; filaments less

than 1 mm. long; anthers oblong. Pistil about 9 mm. long,

just reaching to the lower stamens. Ovary more or less 3-

angled, about 6 mm. long and 3-5 mm. in diameter just above

the base, gradually narrowed into the short, inconspicuous

style; stigma oblique; Squamae about 4 mm. long, linear,

white, transparent, truncate at the apex. (National Herb-

arium, Pretoria, No. 27043.)— E. A. Bruce.

Plate 1052. — Fig. 1, flowering panicle and leaf, natural size; 2, habit

specimen, much reduced; 3, section through flower showing pistil and stamens,

X 2^; 4, flower, x 2^; 5, carpel and squamae, x 3.

F.P.A. January 1949.

1053

1054

3.

Plate 1053, 1054.

ENCEPHALARTOS NGOYANUS.

Natal.

Cycadaceae.

Encephalartos ngoyanus Verdoorn, sp. nov., {E. caffer Hutch. & Rattr.

in FI. Cap. 5, 2: pro parte), affinis E. caffro sed inter alia foliolis minor densis

basi non tortis saepe dentatis radicibus non crassis squamis umbilicis non

elevatis diflfert.

Caudex subterraneus vel 20 cm. elevatus, 20 cm. diam. Eolia plus

minusve 60 cm. longa; petiolus 10-30 cm. longus, 6-8 mm. diam. aracnoideo-

pubescens, glabrescens. Eoliola lineari-lanceolata 7-8 cm. longa, 9-11 mm.

lata, utrinque sparse pubescentia glabrescentia marginibus inferioribus 1-3

dentatis apicibus pungentibus basin versus cuneatis. Strobilus mans 20 cm.

longus, 4-5 cm. diam. anguste cylindricus; squamae 1-8 cm. longae, 2-2

cm. latae, facies laevis plana rhomboidea 2-2 cm. x 1-4 cm. marginibus

inferioribus acutis. Strobilus femineus breviter pedunculatus, ellipsoideo-sub-

ovatus, 23 cm. longus, 10 cm. diam. ; squamarum facies subplana 4-5x3 cm.,

umbilico rhomboideo indistincto margine inferiore acuto infra producto.

Semina scarlatina, 2-7 cm. longa, 2 cm. diam.

Zululand: Ngoye, on grassy slopes near and among boulders,

Verdoorn and Christian 716 (female type); 1\6 b (male type); 716 a; 715,

715 a; Ingwavuma, on steep slope above stream, Verdoorn and Christian

720; 720 a; 720 6; 720 c; 720 J; Conyngham 1 a; 1 6; 1 c; (Galpin 11818 from

Ubombo Mts. and 13310 from Mkuzi, may belong to this species).

In the Journal of S.A. Botany, Jan., 1945, M. R. Hender-

son suggests on page 16, that the dwarf cycad found in

Zululand is distinct from E. caffer and should be described as

a new species. During an expedition in 1947, to investigate

species of Encephalartos in their native habitats, this species

was found in the mountains at Ngoye and also at Ingwavuma.

Like E. caffer the stem is mainly subterranean with only the

dome-shaped apical portion, sometimes about 20 cm. high,

showing above ground. The slender petiole and rhachis is a

striking character by which it may be distinguished and the

leaflets are not nearly so crowded as in E. c^er and they do

not spread in different planes. Further they are not quite so

narrowed at the base nor are they twisted. In addition the

leaflets are often 1-to 3- dentate on the lower margin. The

roots were found to be quite slender by comparison with those

of E. caffer which are very stout. For these reasons, sup-

ported by the break in distribution, Henderson’s view is

upheld. Hutchison and Rattray, 1. c., cite two specimens of

this species from Zululand under E. caffer, which species is

now regarded as restricted in distribution to the eastern Cape

Province.

In connection with these investigations it is a pleasure to

acknowledge the assistance of Mr. L. H. Conyngham at

Ingwavuma and members of the Department of Forestry at

Ngoye.

Description: — Stems mainly subterranean sometimes with about 20

cm. exposed, about 20 cm. diam. at ground level, top dome shaped ; roots of

plants dug up in the veld not stout. Leaves 3 to 7 in a whorl, about 60 cm.

iong (in shade up to 120 cm. long); petiole slender, 10 to 30 cm. long and

about 6-8 mm. wide just above pulvinus, covered with long silky and woolly

ofT-white pubescence (densely so at base), glabrescent; rhachis slender,

pubescent with long silky-wooUy, off-white hairs, becoming glabrescent, upper

surface very narrow, rounded, with 2 longitudinal grooves (not always obvious

in living state), lower surface rounded (through greater arc); leaflets arising

in a medium V, sub-oblique across the rhachis, linear-lanceolate, 7-8 cm.

long, 9-1 1 mm. broad (in shade up to 12 cm. long and 1 - 5 cm. broad) reducing

in size abruptly to apex of leaf and gradually to base, usually to a miniature

leaflet (rarely lobate or to so small a leaflet that it looks like a prickel), margins

with 1 to 3 proclivent teeth on lower margin or occasionally entire (the upper-

most tooth near the apex), both surfaces thinly pubescent (pubescence obvious

on margins) glabrescent, nerves showing on lower surface, sometimes also on up-

per (not so obvious on growing plant), apices pungent, base subequally narrow-

ed to about 3 to 4 mm. (not obviously folded or twisted at the base. Male cone

(past maturity, dry) remains of peduncle 2 cm. long; cone 20 cm. long, 4-5

cm. diam., more or less cylindric; median scales (low'er surface) 1 -8 cm. long

and 2-2 cm. wide, covered with sporangia except for a narrow area, 3 mm. —

5 mm. wide, upper surface smooth and shallowly concave ; scale face smooth,

flat 2-2 cm. broad and 1-4 cm. vertically (no shoulders), rhomboid with an

inner rhomboid area faintly indicated but not raised; lower margin with an

acute edge produced dowmwards to overlap slightly the scale below, upper

margin blunt. Female cone pale olive-green turning yellow with maturity,

shortly pedunculate, ellipsoid-subovate in outline, about 23 cm. long and

10 cm. diam., scales in about 9 spirals; median scale, face 4-5 cm. in width.

3 cm. vertically, more or less flattened or slightly convex above with only

a faint indication of a flatish rhomboid area in lower portion, (no lateral

angles on scale face); lower edge a sharp ridge produced downwards, slightly

overlapping the scale below; upper edge blunt; stipe yellow tinged with

orange, quadrate, 2 cm. long; arms short winged (spreading, not decurved),

same colour as stipe. Seed scarlet about 2 • 7 cm. long, 2 cm. broad, truncate

and fleshy at the distal end, area of attachment small, about 6 mm. diam. —

I.C. Verdoorn.

Plate 1053. — Female cone, natural size.

Plate 1054. — Fig. 1 and 1 a, female scales and seeds viewed from above

and from below respectively; 2, female leaflet; 3, female plant reduced; 4,

male scale from below; 5, male leaflet; 6, male plant, reduced.

F.P.A. January 1949.

1055

3

Plate 1055.

POLYSTACHYA STRICTA.

Uganda, Kenya Colony, Tanganyika Territory.

Orchidaceae.

Polystachya stricta Rolfe in Kew Bull. 1909, p. 63; Kraenzlin in Fedde,

Repert. Spec. Nov. Beih. 39: 45 (1926).

The genus Polystachya contains a few plants which can

truly be termed showy, but there are quite a number of species

in which the delicacy of coloration of the flowers, together

with the graceful habit of the plant, provide a definite charm

for the discriminating person.

The species here figured is a comparatively common plant

in the highlands of East Africa, where it occurs from the West

Nile province of Uganda across that country and Kenya

Colony to the extreme northern part of Tanganyika Territory

in the neighbourhood of Arusha. Like the majority of species

of Polystachya it is an epiphyte, but unfortunately little is

recorded as to its exact habitat, although it appears to be

characteristic of the drier mountain forest belts between 5,000

and 7,000 feet altitude. The group within the genus to which

our species belongs is a critical one containing a number of

rather similar species and falling within Kraenzlin’s section

Caulescentes. It extends from Eritrea and Abyssinia in the

north through eastern Africa to the Transvaal and Natal, where

it is represented by P. transvaalensis Schltr. (see plate 297).

P. stricta is easily distinguishable from most of the other species

of the group by its relatively long, narrow leaves, the frequently

much-branched inflorescence and the fact that when dried the

plants do not turn black to the same extent. Its closest ally

is apparently P. bennettiana Rchb. f., a native of Abyssinia,

which is very imperfectly known and may eventually prove to

be conspecific.

The plate was prepared from a plant which flowered at

the National Herbarium, Pretoria, in March 1944, This was

originally received from Major A. G. McLoughlin, who

obtained it at Kitale on the slopes of Mt. Elgon in Kenya

Colony. In the wild state the species usually flowers in March

and April but flowers have been recorded from January until

May. The specimen portrayed is not typical in respect of the

inflorescence, which in wild plants is usually furnished with

from four to eight lateral branches, although in small in-

dividuals only one or two are developed. The arrested buds

of several lateral inflorescences are present on each of the

flowering stems of the plant figured although the plate does not

show them very clearly. This lack of development of the

lateral inflorescences, due no doubt to the strange conditions

provided, is a common feature in cultivated Polystachyas and

has in the past been the cause of confusion on several

occasions.

Description: — An epiphyte with tufted stems emitting at

the base numerous whitish flexuous roots. Stem comparatively

slender, more or less terete, sometimes slightly thickened in a

fusiform manner, completely covered with several more or less

scarious sheaths in the lower part and bearing 2-4 leaves in

the upper half, up to 20 cm. long and 8 mm. in diameter.

Leaves nearly erect or the lower ones somewhat spreading,

narrowly lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate or oblanceolate from

a sheathing base, subacute or narrowly rounded at the apex,

8- 23 cm. long, 0-75-2 -25 cm. broad, coriaceous, midrib

prominent beneath. Inflorescence erect or somewhat nodding

at the apex, up to 28 cm. long and consisting of a larger

terminal raceme and up to eight (usually 3-5) more or less

secund branches some of which are sometimes arrested and

represented by undeveloped buds; peduncle 5-10 cm. long,

completely enveloped in a series of imbricate scarious sheeths,

lower part of rhachis similarly covered; branches somewhat

decurved, up to 3-5 cm. long, up to 10-flowered, rhachis

pubescent; bracts spreading or strongly recurved,

lanceolate, acuminate, 2-4 mm. long. Flowers suberect, white,

greenish-white or greenish-yellow; pedicels (including ovary)

5- 7 mm. long, pubescent. Dorsal sepal lanceolate or oblong-

lanceolate, acute or apiculate, 7-10 mm. long, 2-5-3 mm.

broad; lateral sepals obliquely triangular, acute or acuminate,

9- 11-5 mm. along the upper margin, 6-7 mm. broad, joined to

the curved foot of the lip to form a rounded chin about 4-5-6

mm. long; all sepals pubescent especially towards the base.

Petals obliquely oblanceolate, somewhat spathulate, apiculate,

6- 8 mm. long, glabrous. Lip recurved almost into a semi-

circle, much widened from a short rather indistinct claw,

trilobed above the middle, 7 - 5-9 - 5 mm. long, 6-7 - 5 mm. across

the lateral lobes when spread out ; middle lobe much recurved,

suborbicular, acuminate, 3-4-5 mm. long, 2-75-3-75 mm.

broad; lateral lobes erect, broadly rounded or obtuse; disc with

a central rounded callus ; almost the whole of the lip is provided

with more or less club-shaped hairs which are more numerous

and shorter on the callus. Column short, with concave front,

4-4 - 5 mm. long; anther hemispherical. (National Herbarium,

Pretoria, No. 27241.) — V. S. Summerhayes.

Plate 1055. — Fig. 1, flowering stems, naiural size; 2, flower, x 5; 3, lip,

X 5; 4, petal, x 5; 5, column, x 5; 6, habit.

F.P.A., January 1949.

1056

Plate 1056.

EULOPfflA COMPLANATA.

S. Rhodesia, Transvaal.

Orchidaceae.

Eulophia complanata Verdoorn, nom. nov., E. transvaalensis Schltr. et

E. transvaalensis var. thorncroftii Schltr. Ann. Transvaal Mus. 10, 4: 237

(1924) non Rolfe, Kew Bull. 1910: 282.

For some years it has been considered that the orchid

figured here could be regarded as distinct from Eulophia

bakeri Rolfe, which is depicted on Plate 293 (Vol. 8) of this

work, under the name Eulophia robusta Rolfe. A comparison

of the figures will show that the principal diflference is the

colour of the flowers, those of our species having decidedly

cream petals and brown or purphsh brown sepals, whereas

in E. bakeri the petals are white to pinky-mauve and the sepals

purple. In the dried state it is very difficult to separate them,

but the records show that E. bakeri is found in the eastern

regions and high veld (from the eastern Cape and O.F.S.,

Basutoland and Transvaal) apparently in deep and good soil,

one collector describing his locality as “ on the spurs of the

Gatsrand (Johannesburg) in heavy deep black weathered

detrital soil ” while E. complanata is found in rather poor soil

in the mixed grassveld of the Pretoria district, the sandy loam

in the Waterberg and northwards to S. Rhodesia, where Mr.

Greatrex records a colony of the species near Sahsbury in

“ hilly bush country ”. Our species is on the whole taller with

slightly larger flowers. When reading the descriptions of all

related species of Eulophia, it was found that the description of

E. transvaalensis Schltr. fitted our specimen. Through the

courtesy of the Director of the Transvaal Museum, the type

specimen was examined and both it and the variety thorncroftii

match the herbarium specimens, which like this figured plant,

have cream petals.

E. transvaalensis Schltr. was described in the Annals of

the Transvaal Museum in 1924, the author evidently over-

looking the existence of E. transvaalensis Rolfe and this

necessitates the new specific epithet which has been chosen on

account of the characteristically flattened appearance of the

flowers. Schlechter allies his species E. transvaalensis, to E.

robusta Rolfe, which he considers to be a mixture of species as

Rolfe himself thought. It is probable that Schlechter had in

mind the part of E. robusta which is represented on plate 293 ;

that is, the mauvey-pink flowered species, which N. E. Brown

in Kew Bulletin 1931 p. 197, refers to Eulophia bakeri Rolfe.

In the same work N. E. Brown refers the type of E. robusta

(McLea in Herb. Bolus) to Eulophia cooperi Reichb. This

species is easily recognised as distinct from ours and E. bakeri,

having leaves shorter or not fully developed at flowering time

and the sheaths on the flowering stem broad and loosely

enveloping the stem, instead of narrower and closely embracing

the stem.

A third species E. pretoriensis L. Bolus, is also closely

related having a flattened flower, but in this case the petals are

whitish-cream and the sepals green.

The specimen figured here was collected during February

1947, in mixed grass veld, characteristic “ banken veld ” as it

is termed, to the east of Pretoria. There were many plants

scattered in the grass, varying in height. The leaves were fully

developed at flowering time, also varying considerably in

length, spreading in a plane, 3 or 4 arching to one side and the

rest to the other. The flowering stalk, arising beside the leaves,

is erect and bears the lovely cream-brown flowers which spread

horizontally, and, except for the odd sepal, are much com-

pressed, giving a horizontal expansion of 4 to 7 cm. and a

vertical depth of about 1 -5 cm. The length of the sepals and

petals, also the degree of acumination, varied considerably in

the plants in this locality. To illustrate this the figure in the

top left-hand corner, no. 3, is part of a flower from an adjacent

plant, with the segments much more blunt than in the figured

specimen. Besides the colour of the flower, the taller growth

and slightly larger flowers, Schlechter distinguishes the species

as having the keels “ veruculose-carunculate, but not lacerated

towards the apex ”. The interpretation of this character is

difficult, especially when in the footnote Schlechter words it

differently, writing “ characterised through the want of lacera-

tion at the upper part of the five carinae which here are only

crenate and slowly disappear at about the middle of the

labellum where they form yet quite conspicuous cristae in

E. robusta Rolfe ”. An examination of several specimens

reveals that in our species there are usually only a few papillose

processes and the keels disappear before reaching the centre of

the front lobe, while in E. bakeri the keels bear more processes,

usually forming a crest right to the centre of the lobe. It is

a quantitative difference and not easily distinguishable.

Description : — Plant about 35-40 cm. tall, sometimes

taller, inflorescence as long or slightly longer than the leaves.

Leaves distichous, conduplicate and equitant at the base, about

3 outer short, and 6 inner elongating, 30-35 cm. long and 1-2

cm. broad, linear, acuminate, erect, spreading, midrib and

usually one vein on each side prominent beneath, impressed

above, apex acute. Inflorescence lateral up to 43 cm. tall,

scape with 3 to 5 sheathing bracts, many nerved, acuminate,

acute. Raceme about 15 cm. long, 10— 15-flowered. Bracts

oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, about 1-3 cm. long, 6 mm.

broad with about 1 1 nerves prominent on outer surface, erect

spreading becoming curved around the pedicel. Flowers

inverted, i.e. lip inferior. Sepals green in bud, becoming

mottled with purplish brown, 2 *5-3 -2 cm. long and 7-8 mm.

wide, acute, spreading. Petals cream, the lateral 2 • 5-3-2 cm.

long and about 1 - 3 cm. broad, ovate with the apex broad and

obtuse or somewhat narrowed and acute, spreading in the

same plane at right angles to the axis, overlapping at base and

then diverging, inner face downwards. Lip inferior, appressed

to the lower face of the petals, about 2 cm. long, slightly shorter

than the petals, 3-lobed, side lobes 1 - 4 cm. long, 4 mm. broad,

free apex 5 mm. long, obtuse, delicately veined with purple-red,

involute until the margins meet under the petals, middle lobe

oblong-orbicular, about 1-4 cm. long and 1-3 cm. broad,

apex rounded or sub-acute ; keels yellow, 4 to 5 on the disc

(the fifth often developing in the centre) 2 robust and running

into the spur and forwards almost to the centre of the lobe with

a few papillose processes near the front, the 2 outer keels not so

robust and usually obvious only on the disc; spur oblong-

obtuse, 2-3 mm. long. Column about 8 mm. long 4 mm. wide

produced at base into a foot about 4 mm. long, channelled,

and with a cavity near the apex; operculum semi-globose,

pollinia attached elastically in pairs to a gland, the pairs so

closely fused to look like a single sac. (National Herbarium,

Pretoria, No. 28211.) — I. C. Verdoorn.

Plate 1056. — Fig. 1, raceme; 2, flower front view; 3, petals and lateral

sepals in colour, of flower from neighbouring plant to show variation in shape

of petals which are not so acute; 4, lip side view ; 5, lip with side lobes

flattened out, X H; 6, column side view with operculum removed, X 4; 7,

column front view showing cavity near apex and foot at base, operculum

removed, x 4; 8, operculum top view, x 3; 9, operculum inner face, x 3;

10, pollinia and gland, x 4; 11, apical portion of leaf; 12, fruit hanging down

with withered sepals persistent; 13, habit.

F.P.A., January 1949.

in Kew Bulletin 1931 p. 197, refers to Eulophia bakeri Rolfe.

In the same work N. E. Brown refers the type of E. robusta

(McLea in Herb. Bolus) to Eulophia cooper i Reichb. This

species is easily recognised as distinct from ours and E. bakeri^

having leaves shorter or not fully developed at flowering time

and the sheaths on the flowering stem broad and loosely

enveloping the stem, instead of narrower and closely embracing

the stem.

A third species E. pretorietisis L. Bolus, is also closely