I. B. Pole Evans

“ The flowers are protandrous and the anthers all converge to a point. The base of the anther is provided with a pouch and the filament with a ciliated hood, and these two structures form a cage for the pollen. The stigma lies within this cage, and the style may possibly elongate eventually, and thus push the pollen above the anthers, as in the Compositae. The plant flowered freely in Pretoria, but failed to fruit, and from this it may be assumed that self-pollination does not take place. ”

“ The genus Chrysophyllum is a small genus in South Africa, having only three representatives, two in Natal and one in the Transvaal. The species figured here is the common one in the Transvaal, being found all along the rocky outcrops of the Magaliesberg range and known as “stam vrucht,” because the fruits are borne on the old stems. The fruits, which are oval in shape, are somewhat larger than a cherry, and are used to make preserve. The plants flower in October and ripe fruits are formed in January. A milky juice characteristic of all the species in the Sapotaceae is present in the plant. ”

“ The Division of Botany in 1921 received living specimens from Dr. W. Borchards of Upington, and these subsequently flowered at Pretoria.
Aloe Schlechteri is found growing on the bare veld. The short stems are decumbent and the rosette of leaves almost at right angles to the stems, giving the plant, when viewed from a little distance, an acaulescent appearance. The plants are invariably found in groups, and the individual plants are so arranged that the group forms a half-circle or sometimes a complete circle on the ground. The inflorescence appears to be always forked. ”

“ The dull brown colour of the flowers, which is rare among South African plants, does not make the plant a very ornamental object in gardens, but as the plant is interesting botanically it should have a place in any collection of the native flora.
The family Haemodoraceae contains about 120 species, found principally in Australia, but species are also known in North and South America and in Asia. In South Africa the family is represented by less than 50 species, the largest genus being Sansevieria. The genus Wachendorfia is known by only two species. ”

“ The species illustrated, while it does not equal its Cape congener in the size of its flowers, is a charming little plant when seen growing. It differs from the closely allied genus Hessea (see Plate 43) in having dorsifixed instead of basifixed anthers, and belongs to a small group of species in the genus Nerine which have the anthers appendiculate at the base. The species has been successfully grown in the National Botanic Gardens at Kirstenbosch, near Cape Town, and was described by Mrs. L. Bolus from specimens which flowered at Kirstenbosch. ”

“ The genus Dicoma comprises a small group of half-woody shrubs with acuminate usually pungent involucral-bracts. About twenty-five species are known, most of which are found in Tropical and South Africa, one extending into Western India. There is also a peculiar species, D. cana, in the island of Socotra. The tribe Mutisieae, to which Dicoma belongs, is but sparingly represented in Africa and has its head-quarters in South America.
Our present plant is common in parts of the Transvaal Highveld, and is found in flower from January to March. ”

“ There appears to be a second and quite distinct species (A. luteus Baker) of this interesting little genus, though Baker in the Flora Capensis treated it as a variety. That it is distinct enough to be regarded as a species was very strongly supported by the late Dr. J. Medley Wood. According to him A. breviflorus grows in swampy ground, commencing at about 1500 ft. above sea level, and is found upwards to 4000 ft. He observed it occasionally to 4 ft. in height, but the average was 2 to 3 ft. ”

“ These insects are able to force their way in between the filaments and inner petals, but cannot escape until the stamens wither. Up to that time no stigmatic surfaces are visible in the centre of the flower, but within a few days, when the flower is about a week old and when the pollen at first accumulated in the concave apex of the ovary has been blown away by the wind, the stigmas develop to a length of 2-3 mm., showing a papillate surface, and are then in a condition to be cross-pollinated by the insects released from flowers in the first stage. ”

“ Full-grown plants attain a height of 12-15 ft., and when in full bloom, which is usually during December and January, their long massive inflorescences make such a display of colour in the veld that they cannot fail to attract the notice of the traveller. As will be seen from the illustration, the uppermost flowers are hidden by the long bracts, the flowers in the middle portion of the inflorescence are pink and spreading, while those at the base are pendulous and greenish-white. ”

“ On Plate 32 of this work we figured a species of Haemanthus (H. natalensis) which differs from the present species in having the involucral-bracts erect instead of spreading. Haemanthus Katharinae, with its spreading involucral-bracts and perianth-segments, is unique in this respect amongst the South African species of the genus. On the inflorescence figured was an odd flower with 8 perianth-lobes and 8 stamens. ”

“ Schönland includes species with a suffructicose, mostly robust habit, with the lobes of the corolla usually longer than the tube, glandular flowers, and with a tuft of hairs at the base of the filaments where they join the corolla. ”

“ The species was first described in 1842 under the name Sporledera triloba, but, as pointed out in the Botanical Magazine under Tab. 6974, there is no justification for establishing a genus to include this species separate from Ceratotheca. The oldest record from South Africa appears to be specimens collected by Drège between the Umtata and St. John’s River, but since then it has been found by numerous collectors. When fresh, the leaves have a very objectionable odour. The plant is very common during January on the hills at Wonderboom, near Pretoria. ”

“ The single species of this genus is endemic to South Africa, and has a wide distribution. In the south-west it is known as far as Swellendam, whence it ranges through the forests to Natal and the Transvaal. Mr. Galpin has recorded the plant from the summit of Saddleback Mountain, at 4500 to 5000 ft., where it occurs as a shrub 8 ft. high. It is somewhat variable, the corolla differing much in size, and the length and hairiness of the style fluctuates, perhaps due to sexual differences. The calyx lobes are either 5 or 6 on the same plant. ”

“ It is a common plant on the slopes of the Drakensberg in Natal, extending southward to Grahamstown, and during the summer months the bright red flowers are very conspicuous in the veld. The leaves of this species, as well as those of E. caffra, are attacked by a gall-producing insect, and the seeds are attacked by insects to such an extent that it is difficult to find ripe seed. ”

“ The stamens do not stand erect as in most other species, but are incurved towards the centre to such an extent that the filaments from opposite stamens meet and the anthers are consequently enclosed in the lentil-shaped cavity thus formed above the concave apex of the ovary. ”

“ M. argentea, up to the time of the publication of the Flora Capensis, was only known from specimens collected by Roxburgh, Masson and Niven over one hundred years ago, and it was only recently that the species was rediscovered. In May 1923, Mr. A. T. Prentice collected specimens near Villiersdorp, very probably in the same locality visited by Masson. Mr. Prentice writes: “They were found on the slopes of the south (i.e. Villiersdorp) side of French Hoek Peak about 3000 ft. There were about 50 trees, 3-6 ft. high, and the habit is different from most of the Proteaceae I have noticed. ”

“ The species is easy of cultivation and is propagated by means of suckers which send up small plants. From the plant in cultivation at Pretoria, four offshoots have developed in one season.
We are enabled to figure this plant through the courtesy of Mrs. E. Rood, of Van Rhynsdorp, who forwarded us the living plant, which flowered at Pretoria in July 1922. Specimens are preserved in the National Herbarium, Pretoria (No. 2575) . ”

“ Flowers solitary, more rarely 2-nate. Perianth-tube with a narrow-cylindric lower portion 1·5 cm. long, broadening out into a funnel-shaped portion 2 cm. long and 1·3 cm. in diameter{160} at the throat; lobes 2 cm. long, 7 to 9 mm. broad, oblong, bluntly apiculate, with a very small tuft of glandular hairs on the apex of three of them. Stamens all arising from the base of the widened portion of the perianth-tube; filaments of unequal lengths and attached to the perianth-tube for different distances, giving the stamens the appearance of being in two rows; anthers oblong, versatile. ”

“ Description:—A succulent plant. Branches glabrous, angled and somewhat winged. Leaves connate 2·8-4 cm. long, ovate, acute, flat above, acutely keeled beneath, with the margins somewhat scarious. Flowers terminal, about 4 cm. in diameter when expanded. Sepals unequal, ovate, acuminate, acute, two of the sepals have membranous appendages on the inner face. Petals 1·7 cm. long, obovate, produced into a long claw. Stamens bending over into cavity of receptacle; filaments linear. Stigmas sessile on floor of receptacle. (National Herb. Pretoria, No. 2646.) ”

“ This common and characteristic Protea of the Drakensbergen we figure here for the first time. It appears to have been originally collected by Burke and Zeyher on the Magaliesberg, and was described by Meisner and named after Mrs. Rouppell, who published an illustrated book of Cape flowers. ”

“ Floral bracts 1·5-2·5 cm. long, long-acuminate from an ovate-lanceolate base. Pedicels 2·5-4 cm. long, terete. Perianth-tube 3·3 cm. long, 9 mm. in diameter above, gradually narrowing below and dilated into a globose base; segments 1 cm. long, ·5 cm. broad, oblong, obtuse, slightly reflexed in the mature flower. Filaments in buds 2·4 cm. long, linear, in mature flowers lengthening to 3·5 cm. and becoming corrugated in the upper half. Ovary 8 mm. long, cylindric; style 2·5 cm. long, cylindric, lengthening in older flowers to 3·8 cm.; stigma simple (National Herb. Pretoria 2593) . ”

“ When in fruit the beauty of the plant is not entirely lost as the long white plumose styles stand out in sharp contrast to the surrounding vegetation.
The specimen figured here was collected by Miss S. Gower at Krugersdorp in February 1922.
Description:—A small shrub 45-60 cm. high. Branches{8} ribbed, villous. Leaves opposite, 7-14 cm. long, bipinnate; the ultimate leaflets about 2 cm. long, pinnately lobed; lobes linear, acute, villous; petiole concave above, convex beneath, villous. Peduncle axillary and terminal, 3-8 cm. long, densely villous. Sepals 2 cm. long, 1·5 cm. ”

“ Calyx divided almost to the base; the lobes erect, 0·8-1 cm. long, lanceolate, acuminate, sub-obtuse, glandular-pilose; the anterior lobe the smallest. Corolla-tube 3·5 cm. long, ventricose at the base, then slightly constricted and widening into a broad campanulate portion 1·4 cm. diameter, glandular-pilose; lobes 0·8 cm. long, about 1 cm. broad, transversely oblong, rounded above; the posterior lobe longer. Stamens of two different lengths, inserted above the ventricose portion of the corolla-tube; filaments 0·9-1·3 cm. long, glabrous; anthers 5 mm. long, linear. Ovary 6 mm. ”

“ Description:—An herbaceous plant with erect stems, sometimes 6 ft. high, simple or branched. Stems obtusely 4-angled, glandular-pilose. Leaves opposite, sometimes alternate, petiolate; petioles 0·5-5 cm. long, grooved above, convex beneath, glandular-pilose; lamina 2-6·5 cm. long, ovate, more or less 3-lobed with the lobes crenate (the uppermost leaves not lobed) , cordate at the base, palmately veined, with the veins prominent beneath, depressed above, glandular-pubescent. Flowers solitary, axillary, with often two abortive{32} flowers in the same leaf-axil. Pedicels 5 mm. ”

“ Bracts 7 mm. long, boat-shaped, glandular-pilose. Pedicels 7 mm. long, terete, glandular-pilose. Calyx-tube 2 mm. long; lobes 5 mm. long, oblong, shortly apiculate, sparsely glandular-pilose. Petals not all equal, 2-2·3 cm. long, almost 1 cm. broad, oblong-obovate, usually rounded at the apex, more rarely emarginate. Stamens usually 10, sometimes 8, in two whorls; filaments 2·7 cm. long, terete; anthers 1·5 mm. long, ovate. Disc cupular below with 10 or 8 arms from the rim of the cup, each arm has a peltate disc. Ovary about 1 cm. long, terete; style 1·8 cm. long, terete; stigma simple. ”