162 MR. H, E. BROWN ON THE 



the present communication will not assist much in the discrimi- 

 nation of the species and genera of Bubiaeese, except as a caution 

 to systematists to rely absolutely on no single character. 



The Stapelieae of Thunberg's Herbarium, with Descriptions of 

 four new Genera of Stapeliese. By N. E. Br(4wn, Her- 

 barium, Eoyal Gardens, Kew. (Communicated by Professor 



Oliver, F.B.S., F.L.S.) 



[Eead June 20, 1878.] 

 (Plates XI. & XII.) 



A pobtion of Thunberg's herbarium being loaned to Kew by the 

 kindness of Dr. Th. Fries, of the University, Upsaia, for the pur- 

 pose of working up the South-African flora, I have availed myself 

 of the opportunity to examine the plants placed by Thunberg in 

 the genus Stapelia. The species are 11 in number, consisting of all 

 those described in Thunberg's ' Flora Capensis/ and one other, 

 viz. : — S.pilifera, L. ; S. mammillaris, L. ; S. incarnata, L. ; S. hir- 

 suta (three species under this name); S. ciliata, Thbg.; S.fascicu- 

 lata, Thbg. ; S. variegata, L. ; S. candata, Thbg. ; and S.planiflora, 

 Jacq. 



According to the present understanding of the genus Stapelia, 

 I find that only five of these species properly belong to it, viz. o. 

 tariegata, S. ylanijlora, and the three included under the name 

 S. hirsuta ; the other six belong to five other different genera, two 

 of which are herein characterized for the first time. 



Stapelia mammillaris, L., I find to be identical with & pulla, 

 Mass. ; both names have been placed under the genus Piaranthus ; 

 but this genus has been entirely misunderstood by all authors. 

 The confusion that has arisen since it was first characterized by 

 Eobert Brown in 1811 was really begun by Bobert Brown him- 

 self ; for after describing the flowers as having no outer corona 

 (" corona staminea simplex, 5-phylla, foliolis dor so dentatis "), he 

 stated that the only species certainly belonging to the genus were 

 S. punctata and S. pulla, Mass. Unfortunately Masson's speci- 

 men of S. punctata does not now exist ; but Sir Henry Barkly 

 has sent to Kew a species from Namaqualand which seems to be 

 identical with Masson's plant ; and this has a corona that exactly 

 agrees with R. Brown's character above quoted : on the other hand, 

 S. pulla has a very different corona, which does not agree with the 

 character " corona simplex." Of this species I have examined a 



