Part 4

DESCRIPTION:--_Corms_ several arranged one on top of the other, discoid, about 3·5 cm. in diameter. _Plant_ about 23 cm. high. _Leaves_ three, 17-26 cm. long, linear and 1 cm. broad above, subacute, equitant and clasping the stem below. _Bracts_ subtending the inflorescences, resembling the leaves. _Bracts_ subtending the ultimate inflorescence 5-8 cm. long, 1·6-2·6 cm. broad, elliptic, boat-shaped, with membranous margins. _Perianth segments_ 2·5 cm. long, forming a campanulate portion 1·5 cm. long and 1·3 cm. in diameter, then spreading into a horizontal portion; the spreading portion 1·4 cm. long, 1·4 broad, ovate, subacute, with frilled margins. _Staminal tube_ 1·6 cm. long, cylindric, anther lobes diverging. _Ovary_ cylindric, with a beak 3 cm. long; stigmas long-fimbriated.

* * * * *

PLATE 66.--Fig. 1, corms; Fig. 2, flower; Fig. 3, top of style showing stigmas and anthers; Fig. 4, stigma.

F.P.S.A., 1922.

PLATE 67.

HARVEYA SQUAMOSA.

_Cape Province, Natal, Little Namaqualand._

* * * * *

SCROPHULARIACEAE. Tribe GERARDIEAE.

HARVEYA, _Hook._; _Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant._ vol. ii. p. 967.

* * * * *

=Harveya squamosa=, _Steud. Nomencl. Bot. ed._ 2, i. 723: _Fl. Cap._ iv. sect 2, p. 413.

* * * * *

The Genus _Harveya_ contains 27 species, all of which are parasitic on the roots of other plants. In South Africa 21 species are recorded, the remainder being found in Tropical Africa and the Mascarene Islands. The name was given by Sir William Hooker in commemoration of Dr. Harvey, who was one of the pioneers of South African systematic botany. The plant belongs to a group known as total parasites, _i.e._ it is wholly dependent on its host for its food supply. Specialised roots technically known as “haustoria” penetrate the roots of the host plant and absorb the requisite food material.

The species here figured occurs in the Cape Peninsula, all along the western coastal districts to Clanwilliam and Van Rhynsdorp and into Little Namaqualand. It has also been recorded from the sand-dunes near Durban in Natal. The specimens from which our plate was prepared were collected by Mrs. E. Rood at Van Rhynsdorp, and are preserved in the National Herbarium, Pretoria (Herb. No. 1456).

DESCRIPTION:--A herbaceous plant about 13 cm. high. _Scale leaves_ 8 mm. long, 1 cm. broad, ovate, acuminate, pubescent without. _Inflorescence_ racemose, densely many-flowered, 2·5 cm. in diameter, more or less cylindric; axis 1 cm. in diameter near base, narrowing upwards. _Bracts_ 1-2 cm. long, ·5-·9 cm. broad, oblong or obovate-spathulate, obtuse, glandular pilose without; bracteoles 2, opposite at base of the calyx, 3 cm. long, 1·5 mm. broad, linear, glandular-pilose. _Pedicels_ 1 cm. long, fleshy. _Calyx-tube_ 2·5 cm. long, 7 mm. in diameter, tubular, glandular-pilose without, glabrous within; lobes 1·5-1·7 cm. long, 3 mm. broad at the base, gradually tapering from a triangular base. _Corolla-tube_ 3 cm. long, 4 mm. in diameter, tubular, glandular-pilose without and also within about the middle; lobes 4 mm. long, 5 mm. broad, semiorbicular, rounded above, somewhat concave, glandular-pubescent without. _Stamens_ attached to the middle of the corolla tube; filaments of 2 different lengths; the longer 1·6 cm. long; the shorter 1·3 cm. long; all sparsely covered with glandular hairs; anthers with one fertile lobe and one unfertile lobe. _Ovary_ 5 mm. long, 4 mm. in diameter; style 2·5 cm. long, terete, sparsely covered with a few glandular hairs; stigma clavate, faintly 2-lobed.

* * * * *

PLATE 67.--Fig. 1, showing haustoria attached to portion of host; Fig. 2, single flowers showing bract and bracteoles; Fig. 3, bract; Fig. 4, bracteole; Fig. 5, calyx laid open; Fig. 6, corolla; Fig. 7, corolla laid open; Fig. 8, stigma; Figs. 9, 10, portion of filaments with anther; Fig. 11, style and ovary.

F.P.S.A., 1922.

PLATE 68.

GLADIOLUS PRITZELII.

_Cape Province._

* * * * *

IRIDEAE. Tribe IXIEAE.

GLADIOLUS, _Linn._; _Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant._ vol. iii. p. 709.

* * * * *

=Gladiolus Pritzelii=, _Diels in Engl. Bot. Jahrb._ vol. xliv. p. 118.

* * * * *

This graceful little _Gladiolus_ was first found by Diels at Hantams Berg, Calvinia District, and described by him in 1909, and in September 1921 the plant was again collected by Dr. R. Marloth in the same locality. It belongs to the same group in the genus as _G. spathaceus_ (the Caledon Bluebell), and _G. involutus_ (the George Bluebell), having the same bell-shaped flowers. In the original description the plant is said to be one-flowered, but in the specimens received from Dr. Marloth the spikes were 2-4-flowered.

Specimens are preserved in the National Herbarium, Pretoria (Herb. No. 1459).

DESCRIPTION:--_Corm_ globose, 2 cm. long, 2·2 cm. in diameter, with fibrous tunics produced into a short neck. _Leaves_ two to each plant; the lower about 5 cm. long, spathaceous, clasping the stem, minutely pubescent and with hyaline margins; the upper 26-43 cm. long, free for 14-24 cm. above, linear, acute, with two prominent ribs above and beneath. _Spikes_ 2-4-flowered. _Outer spathe valve_ membranous, 3 cm. long, 8 mm. broad, lanceolate, many-veined, with membranous margins, glabrous; inner valve 2 cm. long, hyaline-membranous. _Perianth-tube_ 7 mm. long, curved, cylindric below, becoming campanulate above. _Posterior-lobes_ 1·5 cm. long, 1 cm. broad, obovate, subacuminate, obtuse; anterior lobe 2·3 cm. long, 1·3 cm. broad, obovate, rounded above, hooded; side lobes 1·5 cm. long, 1·3 cm. broad, obovate, shortly and bluntly acuminate. _Anthers_ projecting beyond the junction with the filament. _Ovary_ 3 mm. long, ellipsoid; style terete; stigmas spathulate, 2-lobed.

* * * * *

PLATE 68.--Fig. 1, front view of flower; Fig. 2, perianth laid open; Fig. 3, upper part of style, showing stigmas; Fig. 4, anthers.

F.P.S.A., 1922.

PLATE 69.

GAZANIA PAVONIA.

_Cape Province._

* * * * *

COMPOSITAE. Tribe ARCTOTIDEAE.

GAZANIA, _Gaertn._; _Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant._ vol. ii. p. 459.

* * * * *

=Gazania Pavonia=, _R. Br. in Ait. Hort. Kew._ 2, vol. v. p. 140; _Fl. Cap._ vol. iii. p. 476.

* * * * *

This extremely handsome species of _Gazania_ was cultivated by Mr. C. N. Knox-Davies in Johannesburg from plants collected at Worcester in the Cape Province. The plants form a dense mass, and are suitable either for growing in a border or in large pots. The ray florets are a beautiful nopal red, with a warm sepia-brown eye-spot at the base, and when the plants are in full bloom they present a very striking appearance. It is surprising that species of this genus, which are amongst the most handsome of the South African Compositae, have received so little attention from horticulturists, and though hundreds of our native plants have been figured in the _Botanical Magazine_ only two species of Gazania have been illustrated.

Mr. N. E. Brown, who contributed an account of the genus to _The Garden_, wrote that “it is one of the most perplexing that a botanist has to deal with,” and even to-day the species are very imperfectly known. Our plant was submitted to Kew for verification of the name, and the Director reports, “The _Gazania_ has not been exactly matched, but might be regarded as a form of _G. Pavonia, R. Br._”

Specimens are preserved in the National Herbarium, Pretoria (Herb. No. 1473).

DESCRIPTION:--_Plant_ compact, decumbent, forming a clump about 30 cm. in diameter. _Leaves_ crowded near the apex of short shoots, 6-10 cm. long, pinnatisect, slightly broadened and clasping at the base; lobes 1-2·5 cm. long, 2·5-4 mm. broad, linear, subacute, woolly-tomentose beneath except on the mid-rib, sparsely woolly above, at length becoming glabrous. _Peduncle_ 9 mm. long, terete, sparsely woolly, at length becoming glabrous. _Tube of involucre_ 9 mm. long, 8 mm. in diameter, sparsely woolly, intruse at the base; lobes in three rows; the outer 4 mm. long, less than 1 mm. broad, linear, subacute; the innermost ovate, subacuminate, subobtuse, with reddish-brown margins. _Ray-florets_ neuter, corolla tube 7 mm. long, cylindric; limb red with a dark-coloured mark at the base, 1·9 cm. long, 8 mm. broad, obovate, rounded and minutely 3-fid at the apex, with two prominent veins beneath. _Disc-florets_ hermaphrodite. _Corolla-tube_ 7 mm. long, more or less angled, glabrous; lobes ·5 mm. long, ovate, subacute. _Anthers_ 3 mm. long. _Pappus_ of long delicate linear scales connate in the lower half and encasing the base of the corolla tube, free in the upper half. _Ovary_ densely clothed with long silky hairs; style elongating up to 1·3 cm. long, filiform; stigmas about 0·75 mm. long.

* * * * *

PLATE 69.--Fig. 1, limb of ray flower; Fig. 2, longitudinal section of involucre; Fig. 3, ray flower; Fig. 4, segment of leaf enlarged.

F.P.S.A., 1922.

PLATE 70.

OCHNA PRETORIENSIS.

_Transvaal._

* * * * *

OCHNACEAE. Tribe OCHNACEAE.

OCHNA, _Schreb._; _Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant._ vol. i. p. 317.

* * * * *

=Ochna pretoriensis=, _Phillips_, sp. nov. _Rami_ glabri. _Folia_ 1·5-3·8 cm. longa, 0·5-1·7 cm. lata, lanceolata, obovata, elliptica vel oblanceolata, apice obtusa, basi cuneata, marginibus serratis. _Flores_ solitarii vel 2-nati. _Pedicelli_ 1-1·5 cm. longi, basi articulati. _Sepala_ 7-8 mm. longa, 4·5 mm. lata, ovata vel elliptica, apice rotundata, aliquando 2-3-lobata. _Petala_ 1·5 cm. longa, 9·5 mm. lata, obovata, apice rotundata, basi unguiculata. _Filamenta_ 4·5 mm. longa, apice articulata. _Ovarium_ 4-5-loculare; stylus 5 mm. longus, apice 4-5-lobatus.

* * * * *

This _Ochna_, which is found in the Transvaal around Pretoria and at Messina, has hitherto been confused with _O. atropurpurea_, but is easily distinguished from that species by the larger more expanded flowers and the non-pustulate branches. The latter character distinguishes _O. atropurpurea_ from all the other South African species of the genus.

Our plate was prepared from specimens collected on Meintjes Kop, Pretoria, by Mr. D. J. Fouche in September, 1921. It is a low spreading bush, and at this time of the year is one mass of sweet-smelling yellow flowers. The leaves do not appear until December or January, and it is then that the green sepals enlarge and turn a blood-red colour and surround the black fruit. The plant, therefore, either in flower or fruit makes a very ornamental shrub and well worth the attention of cultivators.

The genus _Ochna_ contains several species producing valuable timber.

Specimens are preserved in the National Herbarium, Pretoria (Herb. Nos. 1422, 1491).

DESCRIPTION:--_Branches_ with light to dark brown bark, peeling off in membranous strips, not pustulate. _Leaves_ 1·5-3·8 cm. long, ·5-1·7 cm. broad, lanceolate, obovate, elliptic, or oblanceolate (mostly oblanceolate), obtuse at the apex, cuneate or more rarely rounded at the base, with serrated margins and with the mid-rib distinct and the lateral veins evident. _Flowers_ solitary, very rarely paired, arising at the apex of abbreviated shoots. _Pedicels_ 1-1·5 cm. long, articulated at or 1-2 mm. above the base. _Sepals_ 7-8 mm. long, 4-5 mm. broad, ovate or elliptic, rounded at and sometimes 2-8-lobed at the apex, enlarging in the fruit. _Petals_ 1·5 cm. long, 9·5 mm. broad, obovate, rounded at the apex, narrowed at the base into a claw. _Filaments_ 4·5 mm. long, articulated at the apex; anthers 2 mm. long, oblong. _Ovary_ of 4-6 carpels; style 5 mm. long; stigmas as many as the carpels. _Fruit_ 7-8 mm. long, 5-6 mm. broad, more or less ellipsoid.

* * * * *

PLATE 70.--Fig. 1, fruiting branch; Fig. 2, flower with petals removed; Fig. 3, sepal; Fig. 4, petal; Figs. 5 and 6, stamens; Fig. 7, gynaecium.

F.P.S.A., 1922.

PLATE 71.

DAUBENYA AUREA, _var._ COCCINEA.

_Cape Province._

* * * * *

LILIACEAE. Tribe ALLIEAE.

DAUBENYA, _Lindl._; _Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant._ vol. iii. p. 807.

* * * * *

=Daubenya aurea=, Lindl., _var._ =coccinea=, _Marloth_ comb. nov.

_Daubenya coccinea, Harv. Fl. Cap._ vol. vi. p. 417.

* * * * *

This rare and interesting plant was found by Dr. R. Marloth in the Calvinia District. An examination of fresh specimens has enabled us to reduce the three species described in the “Flora Capensis” to a single species, and the genus _Daubenya_ therefore becomes one of South Africa’s monotypic genera. Our conclusions have been confirmed by independent observations made by Dr. Marloth, and we give below the notes he forwarded to the Division of Botany.

“The colour of the flower is the most brilliant scarlet known in the Flora of South Africa, and especially dazzling when seen in full sunlight. This effect is due to the combination of two pigments in the subepidermal tissues of the flower, viz. a granular yellow pigment distributed through all the cells, and a bright red solution present in most of the cells of the subepidermal layer, but absent in others. This peculiarity of structure also explains the occurrence of plants with yellow flowers, for if through some cause or other (as a sport), the red pigment is not produced, the flower is plain yellow, just as in such a case the flower of the red _Watsonia_ (_W. rosa_) becomes pure white (Arderne’s Watsonia). It so happened that the yellow form was first introduced into England and described by Lindley as _Daubenya aurea_ (1835), hence this name has to be retained for the species, although the flower is generally scarlet, and the yellow form has only arisen as a sport. There is, however, no structural difference between _D. aurea_ Lindl., _D. coccinea_ Harv., and _D. fulva_ Lindl.”

The length of the floral segments and of the peduncle, given as distinguishing characters by Lindley, is very variable in the specimens seen by us (over one hundred); some of them are scarlet, others yellow, and some dull orange. The scent of the flowers is unpleasant, somewhat recalling that of the flowers of _Rhus_.

The home of this remarkable plant was unknown to botanists until re-discovered in 1920. It grows in heavy red clay soil on the farm Fransplaas, about 40 miles north of Sutherland, and flowers in September.

The genus was named by Dr. Lindley in honour of Dr. Charles Daubeny, Professor of Botany at Oxford, “whose interesting researches in vegetable Chemistry have materially conduced to improve our knowledge of the physiology of plants.”

Specimens are preserved in the National Herbarium, Pretoria (Herb. No. 1458).

DESCRIPTION:--An acaulescent herbaceous plant. _Bulb_ 1·6 cm. long, 1·9 cm. in diameter, covered with brown membranous tunics with numerous fibrous roots from the base. _Leaves_ 2, flat, 5-8 cm. long, 4-5 cm. broad, ovate, subacuminate, obtuse, narrowed and clasping at the base, many-nerved, with margins narrowly membranous. _Capitulum_ about 10-flowered, with a peduncle 3 cm. long, clasped by the leaf base and beneath the soil. _Outer bracts_ white, membranous, 2·7 cm. long, 1·6 cm. broad, oblong; inner bracts 2·5 cm. long, 9 mm. broad, obovate-spathulate, entire, clasping the perianth-tube. _Pedicels_ 5 mm. long, 3 mm. broad, compressed, fleshy. _The outer flowers_ 2-lipped and differently shaped from the inner. _Perianth-tube_ of outer flowers 2 cm. long, 4 mm. in diameter, somewhat compressed; lobes of lower lip 2·6 cm. long; the middle lobe 1·4 cm. broad; the 2 side lobes 1 cm. broad; all obovate-oblong, obtuse; lobes of upper lip 3 mm. long, 1 mm. broad, linear. _Perianth-lobes_ of inner flowers 3-6 mm. long, all linear or lanceolate. _Stamens_ inserted at different levels; filaments 3-6 mm. long, terete, fleshy, tapering upwards; anthers 2 mm. long, oblong. _Ovary_ 7 mm. long, 2·5 mm. in diameter, narrowly ellipsoid, glabrous; style 2·5 cm. long, terete, with 3 minute stigmas at the apex.

* * * * *

PLATE 71.--Fig. 1, plant viewed from above; Fig. 2, plant, side view; Fig. 3, a single flower; Fig. 4, side view of flower of outer whorl; Fig. 5, flower from middle of inflorescence; Fig. 6, the same flower viewed from above, showing the stamens and style; Fig. 7, bract.

F.P.S.A., 1922.

PLATE 72.

STAPELIA PILLANSII, _var._ ATTENUATA.

_Cape Province._

* * * * *

ASCLEPIADACEAE. Tribe STAPELIEAE.

STAPELIA, _Linn._; _Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant._ vol. ii. p. 784.

* * * * *

=Stapelia Pillansii=, _N. E. Br._, _var._ =attenuata=, _N. E. Br._ in _Fl. Cap._ vol. iv. sect. i. p. 958.

* * * * *

This interesting _Stapelia_ was first discovered by Mr. N. S. Pillans, of Cape Town, at Witte Poort in the Laingsburg Division, and described by Mr. N. E. Brown, to whom Mr. Pillans sent most of his collections of this group. Our plant is one of the larger-flowered species of the genus, resembling in this respect _S. gigantea_ and _S. nobilis_, but differing in colour from both these species. The flowers have a distinct carrion-like odour, although this is not so strong as in many other species of the genus. When in bud the petals form an acuminate beak recurved at the apex. Under cultivation in the greenhouse the stems turn a dark reddish-brown colour.

Our specimen was collected by Dr. I. B. Pole Evans at Laingsburg, and flowered at the Division of Botany, Pretoria, in October, 1921. (National Herbarium, Pretoria, Herb. No. 1492.)

DESCRIPTION:--_Stems_ 9-15 cm. high, 1·4-2·2 cm. in diameter, 4-angled and with concave sides, pubescent, usually green. _Teeth_ with erect whitish rudimentary leaves about 2 mm. long. _Flowers_ 2 (4 or 5 according to Brown) from near the base of the stems. _Pedicels_ 3-4 cm. long, terete, pubescent. _Sepals_ 1·7 cm. long, 2 mm. broad at the base, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, acute, pubescent. _Corolla_ when expanded 22·5 cm. in diameter, diamine-brown above, smooth and without markings, glabrous; lobes 10·5 cm. long, 2·2 cm. broad at the base, ovate, tapering to a long point, strongly revolute, ciliate with short hairs and with longer vibratile hairs. _Corona_ dark coloured; outer corona lobes 4 mm. long, 2 mm. broad, oblong, bluntly 3-lobed at the apex; the middle lobe the largest; inner corona-lobes 7 mm. long, 3 mm. broad, obovate, flattened and appearing to stand at right angles to the outer lobes, on either edge produced into a beak; the inner beak longer than the outer and recurved over the flattened portion of the corona; the outer beak entire or irregularly 2-3-lobed.

* * * * *

PLATE 72.--Fig. 1, corona; Fig. 2, lobe of inner corona; Fig. 3, lobe of _outer corona_.

F.P.S.A., 1922.

PLATE 73.

MESEMBRYANTHEMUM CRASSIPES.

_Cape Province._

* * * * *

FICOIDEAE. Tribe MESEMBRYEAE.

MESEMBRYANTHEMUM, _Linn._; _Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant._ vol. i. p. 853.

* * * * *

=Mesembryanthemum crassipes=, _Marloth_, sp. nov. habitu _M. rosulati_ (Kensit in Trans. Roy. Soc. S. Afr. i. p. 155, pi. xxib) et _M. calcarei_, Marl. (Flora of S. A. vol. i. pl. 52) sed foliis cuneatis aspero-marginatis et floribus roseis 5-meris distincta.

_Planta_ subacaulis, ramis paucis brevissimis e radice crasso carnoso ramoso. _Folia_ in rosulam aggregata, plana, cuneata, crassa, suberecta, apice retusa vel rotundata, apicem versus margineque tuberculis minutis griseis numerosis munita. _Flores_ apice ramulorum solitarii. _Calyx_ 5-fidus, lobis subaequalibus triangularibus, colore griseo foliorum. _Petala_ lanceolata, uniseriata, saturate rosea. _Stamina_ incarnata basin versus barbata. _Stigmata_ 8-10, filiformia, staminibus aequilonga.

* * * * *

This is a beautiful plant when in flower, owing to the contrast between the deep pink petals and the rugose grey leaves. It was collected on a stony plain of grey shale near Sutherland, at an altitude of 4600 feet, by Dr. R. Marloth, and flowered in his garden at Cape Town in September, 1921.

DESCRIPTION:--_Root_ thick, fleshy, simple or branched up to 30 mm. in diam. and 20 cm. long. _Stem_ none, but one or more short branches arising from the crown of the caudex. _Leaves_ crowded, 6-10 on a branch, mostly erect and exposing the margin to the midday sun, cuneate, gradually narrowed to the base, the apex straight or slightly rounded, occasionally with a blunt mucro; the apical portion, and especially the apical margin, closely covered with fine tubercles; on the wild plant the entire leaf greyish-green, the margin reddish. _Flowers_ solitary on each branch, sessile or subsessile, supported by 2 connate leaf-like bracts. _Calyx_ turbiniform, 10-12 mm. long, the tube 11-13 mm. in diam. at the mouth; sepals 5, of which 3 nearly equal, the 2 others narrower, all triangular, 10 mm. long and wide, with a very narrow hyaline margin and a thick umbo below the apex, finely tuberculate like the leaves, grey, the margin red. _Petals_ uniseriate, narrow-lanceolate or spathulate, 13-14 mm. long and 2-2·5 mm. wide in the middle, deep pink on the inner side, paler on the outer side. _Stamens_ white, bending inwards near the base and then erect, bearded at the bend. _Styles_ 8-10, filiform, 6 mm. long, arising from the apex of the conical ovary. Total diam. of open flower 20-25 mm., opening in the sun and closing towards evening for several days.

* * * * *

PLATE 73.--Fig. 1, longitudinal section through the flower; Fig. 2, calyx; Fig. 3, gynaecium; Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, petals and stamen; Fig. 8, entire leaf; Fig. 9, cross-sections of leaf.

F.P.S.A., 1922.

PLATE 74.

LEUCOSPERMUM TOTTUM, _var._ GLABRUM.

_Cape Province._

* * * * *

PROTEACEAE. Tribe PROTEEAE.

LEUCOSPERMUM, _R. Br._; _Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant._ vol. iii. p. 170.

* * * * *

=Leucospermum tottum=, _R. Br._, _var._ =glabrum=, _Phillips_, var. nov. a typo ramis glabris, bracteis eciliatis differt.

* * * * *

This interesting _Leucospermum_ was collected by Mr. T. P. Stokoe in Jan du Toit’s Kloof near Chavonnesberg, in the Western Province. Mr. Stokoe states that only a few plants were observed growing in a belt of _Proteaceae_. It is evidently very closely related to _L. tottum_, from which it differs in having glabrous branches and non-ciliate involucral bracts, and should be regarded as a glabrous variety of this species. The genus _Leucospermum_ is closely related to _Protea_ (see plate 22) but differs from that genus in having the limb of the posticous segment divided and not completely fused. The well-known “Kreupelboom” (_L. concospermum_) belongs to this genus.

The variety here figured might be regarded as one of the more striking plants in the genus _Leucospermum_. The yellow styles with red stigmas projecting from an involucre tinged with delicate shades of red and green give a particularly pleasing effect.

Specimens are preserved in the National Herbarium, Pretoria (Herb. No. 1493).