Tas. 8248, 
MICROLOMA reNDTRORTUR: 
South Africa. = 
i ASCLEPIADACEAE, 
Micrctoma, R. Lr.; Benth, e! Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii; p. TAC. 
Microloma tenuifolium, K. Schum. in Engl. & Prantl, Pflanzenfam. vol. iv. 
pars ii. p. 222; N. £. Br. in Dyer, Fl. Cap. vol. iv. sect. i. p, 550; species ob 
lobus corollae cordato-orbiculares etiamque ob fasciculos pilorum deflexorum 
in faucem corollae dispositos insignis. 
Herba caule volubile gracile glabro. Fv/ia opposita, patentia vel deflexa, 
breviter petiolata, 2°5-7 cm. longa, 1-3 mm. lata, linearia, acuta, saepe 
marginibus reyolutis, glabra. Cymae ad nodos sublaterales, 3-7-florae. 
Pedunculi 4-6 mm. longi. Pedicel/i 4-7 mm. longi, tenuiter adpresse 
puberuli. Sepala 5 mm. longa, lineari-lanceolata vel oblongo-lanceolata, 
acuta, tenuiter puberula vel subglabra. Corolla urceo'ata, subecarnosa, 
extra glabra, intra ad faucem fasciculis pilorum deflexorum 5 onusta, 
kermesina; tubus 5 mm. longus, pentagonus, inferne inflatus; lobi 2 mm, 
longi et l:ti, cordato-orbiculares, obtusissimi, imbricato-contorti. Corenae 
tuberculae parvae, ad medium corol’ae insertae. Columnae staminum ad 
medium 5-calearatae. Fullicu/é solitarii, 5°5-7°5 cm. longi, 7-8 mm. 
cra si, fusiforn es, longe acuminati, glabri. Semina 4 mm. longa, ovata, 
concavo-conrexa, tuberculata, apice comosa.—Microloma lineare, R. Br, in 
Mem. Wern. Soe. vol. i. p. 58. M. linearis et M. tenuiflora, O. Kuntze in 
Jahrb. Bot. Gart. Berl. vol. iv. p. 268. Periploca tenuifolia, Linn. Sp. PI. 
ed. i. p. 212. Ceropegia tenuifolia, Linn. Mant. ii. pp. 215, 346. C. sinuate, 
Poir. Encycl. Meth. Suppl. vol. ii. p. 178.—N. E. Brown. 
The genus Microloma, which is endemic in South Africa, 
includes ten species, most of which are confined to the 
Central and Western Regions of Cape Colony. The leading 
exceptions are M. sagittatum, R. Br., which is common in 
the Coast Region as well as in the Western, and the species 
now figured, which appears to be confined to the Coast 
Region but is widely distributed therein from the Van 
Rhynsdorp to the Port Elizabeth Divisions. Mr. Brown 
points out that the only species with which M. tenuifolium 
might be confused is M. namaquense, Bolus, a species 
restricted to the Western Region, in which the deflexed 
tufts of hairs are situated near the middle of the corolla- 
tube. The remaining species have the corolla-lobes more or 
less laterally compressed, longer than broad and often 
dorsally gibbous. 
ArriL, 1909. 
