132 Harry Bolus: Plantae africanae novae. II. 
29. Lasiocoma petrophiloides (DC.) Bolus, l. c., p. 391, pl. XI. 
Eriocephalus? petrophiloides DC., Prodr., VI, 146; Harv. & Sond., Flora 
Capensis, III, 201. 
Folia 1,5—2,5 cm longa, segmentis 0,07—0,1 cm latis; pedunculi 
1,5—2,5 cm longi; capitulo cum lana achaeniorum, 0,8—1,1 cm longa; 
involucrum 0,45—0,7 cm longum; radii ligulae 0,35 em longae; pappi 
setae fl. Y 0,2 cm longae; achaenia fl. 3 0,5 cm longa. 
South Africa, without station, Drége; Ecklon, 446 (in herb. 
Sonder). Cape, Colony: Nama'land Minor, near Klipfontein, in open 
places, alt. 950 meters, Sept. (1883), Bolus, in Mac Owan & Bolus, herb. 
Norm. Aust.-Afr., 426 (in herbb. Kew, Brit. Mus., Paris, Berlin, &c.); Cal- 
vinia Division, near Nieuwoudtville, C. L. Leipoldt, 760! , Very common. 
growing in sandy soil in big patches, fl. May to Oct., and said to be a 
very fine ,sheep-bush'* (Collector's note). 
The affinity of the genus is clearly with Ewryops, from which it is 
separated by the sterile achenes of the disk and by the absence of 
pappus on the 9 flowers. The remarkably long accrescent hairs on 
the achenes of the Q flowers are a further peculiar character; for 
while the achenes of Euryops are commonly villous, there is nothing in 
that genus, so far as known to me, approaching those of this plant, 
whieh led De Candolle and Harvey to suppose that it might be an 
Eriocephalus. 
The present plant has a rather singular history. First found by 
Drége and by Ecklon, it was described by De Candolle in 1837 (loc. cit.); 
but so imperfect were the specimens that he expressed much doubt as 
to the genus. Harvey, in 1864, had both Drege's and Ecklon's specimens 
before him, yet fared no better. He followed De Candolle in placing 
them, with doubt, in Eriocephalus, but says: ,A most remarkable species, 
unlike any other, and possibly not of this genus; but the fl.-heads, in 
the only specimens I have seen, have had their contents eaten by in- 
sects, leaving merely the outer invol. and a dense tuft of discoloured 
wool. What may be the origin of this wool, whether from an inner ` 
invol. or from the achenes, remains undetermined.“ In 1883 the plant 
numbered 426 in the Herb. Norm. Austro-Africanum was found by me, 
and being deceived by the similarity of the involucre was distributed by 
me, without having dissected it, as a Euryops. A more recent exami- 
nation appeared to show its distinctness from that genus, and a reference 
to the description of Eriocephalus petrophiloides DC. seemed to leave little 
doubt as to its identity with that species. By the kindness of M. Casimir 
de Candolle, of Geneva, who has compared my plant with the type in 
the „Prodromus herbarium,“ this probability has been rendered a cer- 
tainty. The plant has since been collected by Mr. C. L. Leipoldt, whose 
notes on his ticket are interesting; a bush which seems to be as attrac- 
tive to sheep as it certainly is to insects (for a large proportion of all 
the flower-heads seen have been attacked) must have a hard struggle 
for existence. (Schluß folgt.) 
