Tas. 7976. : 
MORASA THomsont, | 
Native of Hastern Tropical Africa. 
Nat. Ord. Intpacra.—Tribe Morzea. 
Genus Mora, Linn, ; (Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 688.) 
Morza Thomsoni; herba rigida Junci habitu, caule erecto usque ad 1 ped. 
alto, foliis teretibus glabris 6-sulcatis 4-7 poll. longis superioribus 
gradatim reductis, fasciculis florum spicatim dispositis, spathis 2 ovato- 
lanceolatis acuminatis rubro-brunneis 2-floris 1-1} poll. longis, floribus 
13-2 poll. diam., perianthii segmentis pallide lilacinis intus basi luteis 
brunneo-maculatis costis intus violaceis extus rubro-brunneis notatis 
exterioribus ovatis acuminatis e basi angusta lanceolatis acuminatis 
interioribus quam exterioribus minoribus, antheris oblongis basi sagittatis 
connectivo apice breviter producto, styli ramis triangularibus obtusis 
emarginatis undulatis, ovario oblongo, capsulis circiter 4 lin. longis 
castaneis. 
Morza Thomsoni, Baker, Handb. TIridesx, p. 57, et in Dyer, Fl. Trop. Afr. 
vol. vii. p. 341. 
. 
This plant, which flowered in the Cape House at Kew 
in July, 1908, was raised from seeds sent by Mr. J. 
McClounie, Head of the Scientific Department; Zomba, 
British Central Africa, who collected them on the Nyika 
Plateau. It has also been found by Mr. Alexander Whyte 
at an altitude of 4000-6000 ft. on Mount Malosa, in 
Nyasaland; but it was originally described from a 
specimen discovered by the late Mr. Joseph Thomson, | 
F.R.G.S., on the higher plateau in German Hast Africa, 
north of Lake Nyasa. | 
The genus Morea, consisting of about sixty species, has 
its headquarters in South Africa, while sixteen species 
occur in Tropical Africa, and one, M. Robinsoniana, 
F. Muell. (B, M. t. 7212) inhabits Lord Howe Island. 
During the early part of the last century, when Cape 
plants were largely imported, many species of Morxa were 
introduced with them, and were figured in the publica- 
tions of that day. A reference to these figures (B. M. 
tabs. 168, 618, 712, 750, 759, 771, 1012, 1276, 5438) will 
show that many are of great beauty, but the fugacious 
nature of the flowers, as in many other Iridacex, has 
prevented them from becoming general favourites. 
SerTeMBER Ist, 1904. 
