“ 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. ”

“ The genus Massonia is very imperfectly known, as about 24 out of the 33 species described in the “Flora Capensis” have never been collected within the last 50 years, or are only known from figures in botanical publications. It is, therefore, with some pleasure that we publish our first plate representing a species of the genus, collected by Mrs. E. Rood, of Van Rhynsdorp, in the hope that it may stimulate others to forward specimens to the Division of Botany, Pretoria, for illustration in future numbers of this work. ”

“ 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. ”