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Tas. 7068, 
STAPELIA gicantsa. 
Native of Zululand and Namaqua Land. 
Nat. Ord. AscierrapEx.—Tribe STapeLiEg. 
Genus Staretia, Linn. ; (Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Pl. vol. ii. p. 784.) 
StaPetia gigantea ; ramis e caule valido procumbente ste clavatis 4-8 poll. 
longis 1-1} poll. crassis 4-gonis pubescentibus, angulis compressis den- 
tatis, dentibus brevibus erectis, pedicellis pollicaribus crassis tomentosis, 
corolla 12-14 poll. diametr., pilis rufis erectis sericeis molliter hirsuta 
flavida lineolis fusco-rubris creberrime fasciata, laciniis caudato-acu- 
minatis, corona atropurpurea, exterioris squamis lineari-oblongis apice 
8-lobis, lobis lateralibus rotundatis intermedio ovato v. calcariforme, 
interioris segmentis in rostra erecta productis, rostris dorso in alas 
verticales obtusas integerrimas dilatatis. 
S. gigantea, NV. FE. Brown in Gard. Chron. 1877, vol. i. p. 684 and 693, fig. 112, 
and 1888, vol. ii. p. 728, fig. 101. 
This, some Rafflesias and certain species of Aristolochia 
are the largest-flowered members of the vegetable kingdom, 
and, what is curious, all are most fetid and have lurid 
colours. They agree in no other characters ; they differ 
_altogether in habit and botanical affinity; and they 
inhabit widely distant parts of the world, namely, South 
Africa, Malaya, and Brazil. | 
The Giant Stapelia is a native of aiwnd, where it was 
discovered by Mr. R. W. Plant, a collector, some thirty — 
years ago, and sent by him to ‘the Botanical Gardens of 
D’ Urban, whence it was introduced into England by Mr. 
Cooper. It has also been collected by Gerrard, and there’ 
is a drawing of it in the Kew Herbarium, made by Mr. 
Sanderson of Natal, and specimens from the Umveloo — 
‘River; and what is most curious, Mr. Brown informs me 
that he has received from Professor Macowan, of the Cape 
Town Botanical Gardens, a living specimen of the same 
species collected in Namaqua_ Land, on the opposite side 
of the African continent. In this respect itisexceptional, 
for the species of this genus for the most part occupy 
limited areas ; in other words, are as a — local. : 
Aveust i 1839. 
