Tab. 5692. 



STAPELIA Plantii. 

 Mr. Plant's Stapelia. 



Nat. Ord. Asclepiade2e.— Pentandeia Pentagtnia. 



Gen. Char. Calyx 5-partitus. Corolla rotata, 5-fida, carnosa. Gyno- 

 stegium sspms exsertum. Corona staminea duplex, exterioris foliolis v. 



9fi!r mtegns v - P artitis > interioris foliolis corniculiformibus simplicibus 

 v. 2-fidis. Anthers apice simplices. Pollinia erecta, ventricosa, margine hinc 

 pellucida. Stigma muticura. Folliculi subcylindrici, lasves, erecti. Se- 

 mina comosa.-— Plantae Capenses, carnosa;, ramose, ramis aphyllis sa>pii<x 

 4-gonis angulis dentatis. Flores utplurimum speeiosi, atro-sanguineo guttati 

 marmorati v.fasciati. Decaisne in DC. Prod. 



Stapelia Plantii ; ramis pubescentibus erectis 4-quetris clavatis v. colum- 

 naribus, angulis deutatis, dentibus remotis incurvis spiuula raolli ter- 

 minatis, peduuculis calycibusque pubescentibus, corolla ampla 5-fida, 

 marginibus longe ciliatis, laciniis lanceolatis acuminatis, disco fusco- 

 purpureo fasciis fulvis creberrime transverse notato, marginibus late 

 atro-purpureis. 



Stapelia Plantii. Ilort. Grahamstown. 



In the year 1811, the Kew collection of Stapelice contained 

 no less than forty-four species, that of epiphytic Orchids 

 thirty-seven. Those were the days of small dry stoves, heated 

 by hot-air flues; when the successful cultivation of epi- 

 phytic Orchids was regarded as impossible, and our houses 

 overflowed with the representatives of such dry climates as 

 South Africa and Australia. Now we boast of rather fewer 

 species of Stapelia and about four hundred epiphytic Orchids ; 

 and, small as the former collection must appear when compared 

 with the number of species of Stapelia that have been in culti- 

 vation (nearly eighty), it is, I believe, one of the largest now in 

 Kngland. In Germany, probably, much larger exist ; and that 

 much may be added to all, is evident from the fact of the sub- 

 ject of the accompanying Plate being quite new; it ;was sent to 

 the Royal Gardens from the Botanic Garden of Grahamstown, 

 in 1866, and flowered in November, 1867. As a species it 

 is very near S. grandiflora and S. Ursula, differing from both 



FEBBCABY 1st, 1868. 



