Tas. 7465. 
MASSONTA. JASMINIFLORA. 
Native of Orange Free State. 
Nat. Ord. Littacem.—Tribe ALLIER. 
Genus Massonia, Thunb.; (Benth. & Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 806.) 
Massonia jasminiflora ; foliis binis synanthiis patulis humifusis suborbiculari- 
bus levibus glabris viridibus verticaliter multistriatis, floribus albis 
suaveolentibus in umbellam centralem sessilem dispositis, pedicellis 
brevissimis, bracteis membranaceis albis apice viridibus exterioribus 
ovatis perianthii tubo brevioribus, perianthii tubo subcylindrico, lobis 
ovato-lanceolatis patulis tubo duplo  brevioribus, staminibus lobis 
brevioribus, filamentis linearibus basi connatis, antheris oblongis parvis. 
M. jasminiflora, Hort. Burchell ; Baker in Journ. Linn. Soe. vol. xi. p. 390. 
This genus Massonia, which was named by Thunberg in 
commemoration of the botanical explorer, David Masson, is 
entirely confined to Cape Colony. About thirty species are 
now known, but they are very rarely seen in cultivation. 
The present plant was discovered at the beginning of the 
century by the celebrated traveller Burchell, but up till now 
it has only been known from a single specimen dried from 
his garden at Fulham in 1818, and preserved, like the rest 
of his Cape and Brasilian plants, in the Kew Herbarium. 
It was sent alive to the Royal Gardens in 1892 by the 
Rey. F. O. Miles of Almonbury, Bristol, who had received 
it-from the Orange Free State. All the species of the genus 
agree closely in general habit. This one belongs to a 
small group in which the stamens are shorter than the 
perianth-lobes. It is probable that it is the plant upon 
which Salisbury founded his genus Podocallis. 
Deser.—Bulb ovoid, tunicated. Leaves two to a bulb, 
spreading on the surface of the ground, suborbicular, 
minutely cuspidate two or three inches long and broad, 
glabrous, smooth, dull green, with about fifteen distinctly 
marked vertical ribs. Umbel sessile in the centre of the 
two leaves, many-flowered ; pedicels very short; bracts 
ovate, small, membranous, white, tipped with green. 
Perianth white; tube subcylindrical, half an inch long; 
Marcu Ist, 1896, 
