Tas. 7454. 
ALBERTA MAGNA. 
Native of Natal. 
Nat. Ord. Rusiacex.—Tribe ALBERTE. 
Genus Auperta, LE. Mey.; (Benth. & Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p. 109.) 
ALBERTA magna; frutex v. arbor fere glaberrima, ramulis teretibus, foliis 
obovato-oblongis obtusis integerrimis coriaceis lucidis in petiolum brevem 
crassum angustatis, costa valida, nervis utrinque 8-10 gracilibus, stipulis 
interpetiolaribus triangularibus acutis diu persistentibus, paniculis 
amplis terminalibus puberulis ramis oppositis inferioribus deflexis, 
bracteis minutis persistentibus, floribus erectis, calycis parvi lobis ovatis 
2 ceteris majoribus demum accrescentibus, corollz pollicaris coccines tubo 
superne paullo inflato lobis parvis triangularibus, antheris sessilibus dorso 
eras, calycis fructiferi lobis 2 foliaceo-dilatatis obovato-spathulatis 
reticulatis. 
A. magna, FE. Mey. in Linnea, vol. xii. (1838) p. 258. Harv. & Sond. F'. 
Cap. vol. iii, p. 15. Harv. Thes. Gap. t. 45. 
Alberta is a small South African and Madagascar genus, 
founded by Meyer in 1838 on the species here represented. 
It was named in honour of Father Albertus Grotus, a 
Dominican Friar, afterwards Bishop of Cologne. He was 
born in Swabia about the year 1200, and being reputed a 
prodigy of learning and genius, the epithet Magnus 
was conferred on -him by his contemporaries. Alberta 
belongs to a group of fubiacee containing seven genera, 
all African, and chiefly tropical. A. magna forms a shrub 
or small tree in the rocky mountains of Natal, at eleva- 
tions of 38-5000 ft., where it forms a conspicuous and 
beautiful object from the glossiness of its evergreen leaves, 
and the beauty of its flowers. There are specimens in the 
Herbarium of Kew from Inanda (Gerrard), from precipices 
of the Great Noodsberg Mt. (Wood) ; and from the Kak- 
loot Falls (Scott). It was discovered by Drege in 1832, 
** between Omsancaba and the great waterfall.” 
A. magna was raised in the Royal Gardens, Kew, from 
seeds sent in 1889 by Mr. Medley Wood, A.L.S., Curator 
of the Botanical Gardens, Natal. Mr. Watson informs 
me that it flowered for the first time in February, 1895, 
January Ist, 1896, 
