Tas. 5996. . 
PELARGONIUM OBLONGATUM. 
Native of South Africa. 
Nat. Ord. GeraniacEH.—Tribe PELARGONIER. 
Genus Petarconium, L’her. ; (Benth. and Hook. f. Gen. Pl. vol. i. p. 273). 
PeLarcontum (Hoarea) oblongatum ; caudice erecto tuberoso fusiformi brun~ 
neo, apice stipulis lanceolato-subulatis stellatim patentibus coronato, 
foliis precocibus coriaceis glabris longe v. breviter petiolatis, petiolis 
glabris, late ovatis obtusis integris margine lobulatosubdentato v. pinnato- 
multifidis, scapis crassiusculis ramosis calycibusque patentim pilosis, 
bracteis radiantibus subulato-lanceolatis, calycis tubo 1-3-pollicart 
gracili, limbo lobis oblongo-lanceolatis acutis, petalis flavis superiori- 
bus longe unguiculatis spathulatis purpureo venosis, ceteris minoribus 
anguste obovato-spathulatis enerviis, staminibus 5 declinatis. 
PELARGONIUM oblongatum, E. Meyer in Herb. Drege ; Harv. and Sond. Fl. 
Cap., vol. i. p. 263. 
A very singular species, belonging to a desert form of the 
genus, SiatkaNle for the thick nae fleshy root-stock, which 
stands a few inches above the ground, and bears leaves before 
the flowers appear. The curious root-stocks of this tribe 
appear to have the power of throwing off thick layers of the 
outer bark from the upper part. The calyx-tube is 
much longer than the limb, and being very slender 
and adnate to the slender pedicel to its base, it 1s apt to 
escape observation. The length and comparative breadth 
of the sepals and petals varies much. 
P. oblongatum is a native of the dry district of N; epee a 
Land, where it was discovered by Burchell im Lege an 
erwards gathered by Drege, in whose collection 1 _ 
named by E. Meyer, but not described till ene up i 
Harvey in the Flora Capensis in 1860. A plant of it — 
with Mr. Wilson Saunders, at Reigate, in July of the Le! 
year, which was sent from Namaqua-Land by Mr. W. S. Rucker; 
OCTOBER Ist, 1872, 
