Tas. 6212. 
STAPELIA OLIVACEA. 
Native of South Africa. 
Nat. Ord. ASCLEPIADE®.—Tribe STAPELIER. 
Genus Stapetia, Linn. (Benth. et Hook. J, Gen. Plant., vol. ii., 784 ined.). 
STAPELIA olivacea; ramis rectis gracilioribus minute puberulis 3-5-pollicaribus 
cinereo-virentibus purpureo-maculatis tetragonis angulis obtusis ad inser- 
tiones dentorum transversim constrictis, dentibus parvis triangularibus 
appressis, floribus ramos ad imos juniores insitis minime pedunculatis, 
calycis puberuli segmentis minimis subulatis, corolla fcetidissima diametro 
sesquipollicari profunde quinquefida extus sordide viridi puberula, intus 
glabra rugis crebris instructa olivaceo-brunnea lobis ovatis acutis 5-nerviis 
albo-ciliatis, coronz exterioris squamis anguste oblongis acutis purpureo- 
brunneis linea centrali ornatis, interioris duplo longioribus cornubus falcato- 
subulatis instructis attenuatis paullo recurvis omnibus purpureo-brunneis. 
S. olivacea, N. E. Brown in Gard. Chron., 1875, iii., p. 136. 
This interesting species appears to have been known for 
some little time in gardens as Stapelia eruciformis, although 
there seems to be some doubt whether that name does not 
belong to another species (Gard. Chron., 1875, iii., p. 206). 
It was sent to Kew by H.E, Sir Henry Barkly in April, 
1874, where it flowered in September following, and was first 
described by Mr. Brown, assistant in the Herbarium of the 
Royal Gardens, in the ‘“ Gardener’s Chronicle” in January 
of last year. The following description is in great part 
adopted from Mr. Brown. 
Duscr. Stems erect, rather slender, branching at the 
base, minutely puberulous, three to five inches high, three- 
eighths to half an inch thick, tetragonal, with rounded angles, 
transversely constricted at the base of the minute lanceolate 
appressed teeth, greyish green, becoming blotched with purple 
on full exposure to the sun. Flowers two to six from the 
bases of the younger branches; peduncles two to three lines 
long, puberulous, green. Calyz five-partite, puberulous ; seg- 
ments two to two and a half lines long, subulate. Corolla very 
fetid, about one and a half inch in diameter, dull green and 
puberulous externally, glabrous within, with numerous 
crowded brown transverse ruge on a dark olive-green or 
Fesrvary Isr, 1876. 
