Boran countries in Abyssinia, attributed by Brown to 
M. erubescens, we believe to represent a distinct species. 
The material for our illustration has been provided from 
a living plant from Somaliland, presented to Kew by 
Dr. Drake-Brockman which has grown well and proved 
quite healthy in a warm succulent house under the 
treatment suitable for species of Stapelia. During the 
first two winters the stems formed in the preceding 
summers died down. It flowered in July, 1916, when the 
drawing was made, but has not done so again, though 
since then the stems formed have persisted, and the plant 
now possesses several of these, the longest of which is 
three feet long with a few leaves near the top. Young 
plants have been raised from cuttings, which root readily 
in spring. 
Description.—Herb, with a perennial globose tuber 8-14 in. in diameter. 
Stems, 1-2 from each tuber, prostrate, succulent, simple or branching at the 
base, in the wild plant up to 6 in. long, in cultivated specimens sometimes 
up to 3 ft. long, about 2 in. thick, finely puberulous. Leaves petioled, in 
cultivated plants varying in shape from orbicular-elliptic to wide ovate- 
lanceolate, in wild plants usually wide ovate-cuneate, apex shortly acute or 
cuspidate acuminate, 1-2} in. long and 3-1} in. wide in cultivated specimens, 
only 3-1} in. long and 2-3 in. wide in wild ones, margin crispately wavy, 
rather fleshy, green above, reddish with green veins beneath, finely and loosely 
‘puberulous; petiole from very short to } in. long, densely puberulous. 
Inflorescence axillary, reduced to a solitary drooping cyathium surrounded by 
involucral bracts on a peduncle about } in. long at time of flowering, but 
elongated in fruit; bracts united to the middle in a wide bell-shaped cup in. 
across, nearly } in. deep, minutely apiculate, rather fleshy, white, finely veined 
with green and tinged towards the base with a rosy flush. Cyathiwm nearly 
sessile, globose-tubular, puberulous, pale green, } in. across, cleft on one side 
tothe middle, lobes 5, white, fimbriate, surrounded and overtopped by an entire 
thick yellow annular gland. Male flowers naked, mixed with fimbriate 
bracteoles, Female flower drooping, exserted from the cleft of the cyathium ; 
perianth reduced to a very short somewhat undulate or lobulate cup surround- 
ing the base of the ovary which is bluntly 3-gonous, the angles with narrow 
undulate wings. Ripe frwit unknown. 
Tas. $756.—Fig. 1, inflorescence ; 2, involucre ; 3, fimbriate lobe of cyathium ; 
4, male flower; 5, female flower; 6, sketch of an entire plant :—all enlarged 
except 6, which is much reduced. 
