obtained from Henkries, near the Orange River, two fine 
specimens of this plant. One unfortunately died, but the 
other reached Kew in perfect coadition, having been carefully 
suspended in a wooden box without earth. Sir Henry 
Barkly remarks that plants of Hoodia as well as Piaran: 
ius usually have a single tap-root with branchlets spreading 
out laterally at some depth, and that they often die when 
transplanted. The Kew plant appeared at first to be in 
excellent health, and after flowering in 1875 (for the first 
time, I believe, in Europe) made some growth, but at the 
beginning of the present year it rotted off at the crown with- 
out apparent cause. 
Desor. Stems numerous from the crown, erect or some- 
what spreading, cylindric, slightly branched, leafless, younger 
portions with closely-set spirally-arranged tubercles, ulti- 
mately confluent into prominent longitudinal ridges ; tubercles 
with a strong slightly-deflexed prickle swollen at the base. 
Flowers produced near the apex of the branches, 1-3-together, 
shortly petiolate. Calyx short, five-partite ; segments acumi- 
nate, with minute glands interposed between each pair. Obrolla 
with a very short tube; limb about four inches in diameter, at 
first slightly concave, ultimately nearly flat or even reflexed, 
obsoletely five-lobed; lobes abruptly apiculate, membranous, 
with pale radiating nerves, pale brownish flesh-coloured, 
glabrous. Corona double ; exterior spreading, adnate to the 
staminal tube by five vertical septa, five-lobed, lobes oblong, 
concave, obscurely bilobed ; interior of five narrowly oblong 
incumbent scales adnate to the septa and the base of the 
anthers. Anthers short, oblong, inappendiculate, incumbent 
on the stigma and half-immersed in it. Stigma flattened at 
the apex. Podllen-masses erect. Follicles in pairs, tapering to 
each end, smooth.— W. 7. T. D. 
Fig. 1, Reduced sketch of whole plant; 2, flowering-stem, natural size; 3, 
gynostemium from side ; 4, gynostemium from above; 5, pollen-masses :—3-5 
are magnified analyses from flowers of Hoodia Currori preserved in spirit. 
