Tas. 6814. 
STREPTOCARPUS cautescens. 
Native of Tropical Eastern Africa. 
Nat. Ord. GESNERACEH.—Tribe CyRTANDREZ. 
Genus Strertocarrvs, Lindl. ; (Clarke Monogr. Cyrtandr. p. 148.) 
Srreprocarrts caulescens ; molliter hirsutus, caule elongato erecto robusto folioso, 
foliis petiolatis elliptico-oblongis integerrimis obtusis subacutisve, pedunculis 
gracillimis, cymis dichotomis Jaxifloris glanduloso-pilosis, pedunculis pedicellis- 
que gracilibus, bracteis minutis subulatis, calycis parvi lobis lanceolatis 
acuminatis, corolla tubuloso-campanulata paulo incurva, tubo subtus inflato 
4 poll. longo, lobis oblongis, capsula gracili 2—3-pollicari, stylo brevi. 
S. caulescens, Vatke in Linnea, vol. xliii. p. 323; Clarke Cyrtandr. p. 154; 
Dickson in Trans. Ed. Bot. Soe: vol. xiv. p. 362, t. 14. 
At Plate 6782 there is figured for the first time a species 
(and this a newly discovered one) of the caulescent group 
of the beautiful genus Streptocarpus (S. Kirkii), under 
which it is noticed that its nearest ally was the S. caulescens, 
Vatke, which had not at that date been introduced into 
cultivation. Indeed, so like was 8. Kirkii to S. caulescens, 
that doubts were expressed as to the limits of varieties of 
each not overlapping. The figure here given of S. caulescens 
shows that it is specifically distinct, is more hirsute, with a 
curious tuberous gouty stem and paler flowers, and with 
very differently shaped lobes of the corolla. 
According to Mr. Clarke, however, the species is a 
variable one, of which what he regards as the typical form 
has much larger leaves of a lanceolate form, four to five 
inches long, with petioles more than half that length, and 
having rather larger violet-blue flowers; and he refers 
specimens in the Herbarium which are similar to that now 
figured, to a var. ovata with shorter broader leaves and 
shorter petioles. Without more and more complete 
specimens it is impossible to say whether or no these two 
forms may not represent really different plants. The fact 
-is that the countries from which.these beautiful plants have 
been obtained present all sorts of obstacles to the traveller, 
and render the collection and preservation of specimens, 
where possible, extremely difficult. In Vatke’s description — 
May Ist, 1885. 
