Tab. 8670. 

 BRACHYSTELMA oianthum. 



South Africa, 



Asclepiadaceae. Tribe Ceropegieae. 

 Brachystelma, B. Br. ; Bsnth, et Hook.f. Gen. Plant, vol. ii. p. 781. 



Brachystelma oianthum, Sclilechter in Engl. Jahrb. vol. xx. Beibl. 51, 

 p. 53 ; N. E. Br. in Dyer, Fl. Cap. vol. iv. sect. i. p. 838 ; species B. cam- 

 panulato, N. E. Br., valde affinis, sed corolla pilis longis albis vel atro- 

 purpureis instructa, lobis haud ciliatis distinguitur. 



Herba tuberosa ; tuber planum, circiter 5 cm. diametro ; caulis erectus, simplex 

 vel sparse ramosus, pubescens. Folia lanceolata, elliptico-lanceolata vel 

 elliptico-oblanceolata, acuta, 1-25-5 cm. longa, fere 2 cm. lata, breviter 

 petiolata, minute clliata, plus minusve pubescentia. Florcs solitarii, 

 nutantes vel horizontales. Cahjcis segmenti lanceolati vel ovato-lanceo- 

 lati, acuti, 5 mm. longi, sparse pubescentes. Corolla ovoideo-campanulata, 

 breviter 5-loba, extra glabra, viridi-flava, maculis atropurpureis instructa ; 

 tubus ad 2' 4 cm. longus (saepissime brevior) et 2"5 cm. diametro, intus 

 pilis longis albis vel atropurpureis instructus ; lobi 5, deltoidei, acuti, 

 circiter 5 mm. longi et 5 mm. lati, longe ciliati. Coronae segmenti quinque, 

 in cupulam connati, trilobi, lobis lateralibus (exterioribus) 10 deltoideis 

 obtusis, lobis intermediis (interioribus) 5 ad antherarum dorsa adpressis, 

 ea haud excedentibus. — W. B. Turrill. 



The Brachystelma here figured is a native of the Orange 

 River Colony, which has been in cultivation in England 

 since 1912, when it was presented to Kew by Dr. R. 

 Marloth, Cape Town. During the period which has 

 elapsed since it was received all its parts have increased 

 in size to a considerable extent. The leaves are now 

 longer and wider and less hirsute than they were during 

 its first season, and the flowers, produced for the first 

 time in May, 1915, are much larger than those in any 

 of the wild specimens 'from its native habitat in the Kew 

 collection or in those on which Dr. Schlechter based his 

 original account of B. oianthum. The species thrives well 

 in a warm greenhouse under the conditions as to soil and 

 water which are suitable for the South African species of 

 Stapelia. The species of the genus Brachystelma display 

 considerable variety in the shape of the corolla. The 

 majority are without a distinct corolla-tube, the flower 

 then being saucer-shaped or quite flat. The other 



July, 1916. 



