I. B. Pole Evans

“ Protea compacta is a common plant in some parts of the Cape Province, especially in the Caledon Division, but is also found in parts of the Cape and Stellenbosch Divisions, and a single specimen, collected by Zeyher, has been recorded from the van Staden’s Mountains. In its natural habitat it is a bush 4-6 ft. high with brilliant pink bracts partly surrounded by the uppermost leaves, and in many localities the flowering bush is one of the features of the landscape. Like many other species of Protea in the Cape Province, this species is visited by a large coleopterous beetle. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 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. ”

“ 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 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) . ”

“ 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.) ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 708.
Tritonia Mathewsiana, L. Bolus in Annals Bolus Herb. vol. iii. p. 76.
This species, which belongs to one of the large South African genera of the iris family, differs from all genera of Iridaceae hitherto figured in this publication in having small brown spathe valves. The genus is represented in South Africa by over thirty species, mostly confined to the coastal region of the Cape Province, but with a few in Namaqualand, Natal, and the Transvaal. ”

“ 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. ”

“ It is a very handsome shrub which stands from 4 to 8 ft. high, and is well worth cultivation.
Description:—An erect shrub ·9 to 3 m. high. Stem and branches terete, ashen-grey, prickly. Leaves pinnately trifoliate, 5 to 7·5 cm. long and wide, broadly ovate, gradually narrowing to an acute apex, occasionally very much attenuated and 3-veined at the base; the terminal leaflet similar but smaller and broader in proportion to its length; the midribs of all usually bearing prickles; stipule 6 mm. long, oblong, acute; stipellae glandular. Petiole 5 to 7·5 cm. ”

“ Receptaculum 2 cm. longum, conicum. Perianthi tubus 5·5 cm. longus, basi dilatatus; laminae 1·2 cm. longae, villosae; apice triaristatae; aristae laterales 1·8 cm. longae, villosae, media 1·5 cm. longa. Stamina 8 mm. longa, linearia, apice glandibus linearibus instructa. Ovarium pilis longis vestitum; stylus 6 cm. longus; stigma 6 mm. longum.
This species of Protea was collected early in 1921 by Mr. T. P. Stokoe. ”

“ Our illustration was made from plants raised at the Division of Botany, Pretoria, from seed collected by Dr. J. M. Troup at Aus in South-west Africa. The plant flowers freely and makes a splendid display, and as a garden plant for supplying cut flowers it is well worth cultivation.
Seed was sent by the Chief of the Division of Botany to Kew in 1918, and the plants raised were figured in the Botanical Magazine (t. 8845) . Mr. ”

“ In addition to the beauty of its flowers, its large copper-coloured orbicular winged fruits add considerably to its charm and gracefulness. The material from which our plate was prepared was collected by Dr. ”