Tab. 8681. 

 STAPELIA Gettleffii. 



Transvaal. 



Asclkpiadaceae. Tribe Stapelieae. 

 Stapelia, B. Br. ; Bcnth. et Hook, f. Gen. Plant, vol. ii. p. 784. 



Stapelia Gettleffii, Pott in Ann. Transvaal Mus. vol. iii. p. 226 ; affinis 

 S. hirsuta:', Linn., sed caulibus crassioribus, foliis duplo longioribus 

 appressioribus et corolla fere ad apiceni luteo-lineata bene distinguenda. 



Herba succulenta 10-20 cm. alta. Catties l - 2-l'5 cm. crassi, erecti basi 

 decumbentes, tetragoni angulis compressis dentatis, velutino-pubescentes, 

 virides. Folia, rudimentaria 9-12 mm. longa, adpresso-erecta, lineari- 

 lanceolata, acuta. Cymae prope basin caulorum enatae, subsessiles, 1-3- 

 florae. Pedicelli 6-8 cm. longi, 4-5 mm. crassi, velutini. Sepala 10-12 

 mm. longa, lanceolata, acuta, velutina. Corolla 14-16 cm. diametro, pro- 

 funde 5-loba, extra velutina, flavo-viridis, intus transverse rugosa, disco 

 purpureo longe et molliter purpureo-lanato, lobis fere ad apicem transverse 

 luteo- et purpureo -lineatis marginibua late purpureis et longe purpureo- 

 ciliatis; lobi patenfces vel reflexi, 6-7 cm. longi, 25 cm. lati, lanceolati, 

 acuti, marginibus revolutis. Coronae exterioris lobi 6 mm. longi, erecto- 

 patuli apice recurvi, lanceolati, supra canaliculati, apice subulato-acuminati, 

 atropurpurei ; interioris lobi 10-12 mm. longi, patuli, subulati, dorso lata 

 alati, alis 1-3-dentatis, atropurpurei. — N. E. Brown. 



The handsome Stapelia here figured was originally dis- 

 covered in 1911 by Mr. G. F. Gettleffi at Louis Trichardt 

 in the Zoutpansberg division of the Transvaal, and in 

 the same year was found also at Palapye Road. A living 

 plant from the latter locality, sent by Mr. N. S. Pillans, 

 reached Kew in June, 1911. It has thriven well on 

 the sunny shelf of a warm greenhouse and, flowering for 

 the first time in June, 1915, has enabled the accom- 

 panying plate to be prepared. A second living plant 

 was sent to Mr. N. E. Brown by Mr. Pilhns from Palapye 

 Road in 1911, and another from the Louis Trichardt 

 locality, sent by Mrs. Pott, reached England in 1912. 

 In April, 1913, Mrs. Pott supplied the Kew Herbarium 

 with an excellent diied specimen prepared by her from 

 the plant on which her original description was based. 

 The peculiar fashion in which the unusually large rudi- 

 mentary leaves are disposed, in an erect position close 



October. 1916, 



