?^%n ^V .? 



4 



_ > 



■-^ 



. ^ 



80 



MR. N. E. BROWN : NEW AND OLD 



ijriinular or 



\. 



gradually tapering from the Lase to an acute and iisnally niucronate apex, 

 very convex on the back at tlie basal part and keeled at the apical part^ and 

 the keel more acute and more dilated on the toothed than on the entire leaves^ 

 at tlie base united into a cylindrical body or slieath 10--25 mm. long; surface 

 smooth, but appearing under a strong lens to be microscopically somewhat 



very minutely papillatCj not puborulous, entirely white or 



I 



whitishj but wdion viewed wiih a lens faint scattered pallid dots can be seen 

 on the back and along the margins. Flowers not seen on the living plant, 

 but according to the dried specimens and the figure quoted, the peduncle is 

 4-7 cm, long and 3-4 mm. thick, with two leaf-like entire bracts 1-4 cm. 

 long at its base. Calyx 5-6-lobcd ; lobes about 10-15 mm. long and 

 8-10 mm. broad, elliptic-ovate or ovate, acute or obtuse, three of them with 

 broad membranous margin'^. Corolla 5-6 cm. in diameter ; tube none ; 

 petals numerous, very spreading, in three to four series, the inner gradually 

 smaller, 10-25 mm. long, linear^ acute or notched at the apex, ^' white to 



pale pink'' (Jf<ie Pearson). Stamens numerous, erect, in a dense cluster 

 10-12 mm. in diameter and a1)out 4 mm. long. Stigmas 17-10 or perhaps 



sometimes fewer, about 2 mm. long, subulate, acute, erect. 



Capsul 



e 



17-iy-celled. Seeds smooth, shining, pale brownish^ — M. denticulatam var. 

 candidissbnum^ Haw. Obs, p. 151 (1704); Synop. p. 216 j & Rev. p. 91: 

 L. Bolus in Ann. S. Afr, Mus. vol. ix. p. 142 with fig., and pL 3. fig. B. 



Little Najiaqualand. Stinkfontein, Pearson^ 5556 ! 6132 ! Eenriet, 

 Fearson, 4068 I 4072 ! 



My drawing was made from a living plant of Fearson's 5556, cultivated 

 at Kew^, but the plant figured by Mrs. Bolus (Pearson 6432) is a larger form 

 stated to be from the same locality, the actual specimen from which her 

 figure was made being now in the Kcw Herbarium. The Eenriet specimens 

 are smaller, and similar to the specimen I have figured. The white surface 

 of the leaves is peculiar in its texture. 



Ha worth does not state who introduced the plant at Ivew, but in all 

 probability it was sent home by Musson, 



M.,DENTICULATU.M, IIuiv. (PL 9, fig. [Ul). Stemless. Leaves about 2 in. 



(5 cm.) long^ somewhat curved inwards, 



the upper part compressed- 

 triquetrous, dihited and keeled and often with 1-2 teeth on the back at the 



somewhat attenuate downwards and towards the base, becomintr 



ape: 



rounded on the back^ united at the base, dull whitish, rather hoary than 

 glaucous, very slightly pubescent under a microscope. Flow^ers unknown. 

 M. denticulatiim^ Haw. Obs. p. 149 (1794); Misc. p. 30; Synop. p. 215; & 

 Rev, p. 91 : Ait, Hort, Kew, ed. 2, vol. iii. p. 217. • 



Yar. GLAUCUM, llaic. Leaves broader (probahly thicker from front to 

 back is meant) at the points than in the type, very glaucous or glaucous- 

 white, 2-3 toothed at the apex. Peduncles 4 in. (10 cm.) or more lono-^with 





