Tap. 8504,: 
CUNONIA CAPENSIS. 
South Africa. 
SAXIFRAGACEAE. Tribe CUNONIEAE. 
CunontA, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. i. p. 654. 
Cunonia capensis, Linn. Syst. ed. x. p. 1025; Lindl. in Bot. Reg. vol. x. t. 828; 
DC. Prodr. vol. iv. p.12; Rev. Hort. 1854, t. 8; Fl. Cap. vol. ii. p. 806; Sim, 
For Fl. Cape Col. t. 66; affinis C. Viellardi, Brogn. et Gris, sed floribus 
stipulis et foliis majoribus, foliolis numerosioribus, racemis longioribus et 
stylis elongatis differt. 
Arbor sempervirens, in cultu 4-5 m. altus. Folia opposita, longipetiolata, in 
toto ad 23°5 em. longa, imparipinnata, foliolis lateralibus 4 vel 6 spathulato- 
oblongis terminalibus oblanceolatis apice acutis basi cuneatis in petiolulum 
attenuatis 6°5-10 em. longis, 2-8 cm. latis glanduloso-serratis coriaceis 
glabris supra atro-viridibus nitidis subtus pallidioribus; petioluli 0-2-1 
em. longi; petioli 4-5°5 em. longi, rubiginosi; stipulae spathulatae, 
interpetiolares, folia novella includentes. lores in racemos densifloros 
axillares dispositi; pedicelli 5-7 mm. longi, fasciculati, Calycis lobi 5, ; 
virides, ovati, 1°5 mm. longi, decidui, imbricati. Petala 5, luteola, oblonga, 
3 mm. longa, 1°5 mm. lata, apice obtusa, margine erosa. Stamina 10, longe 
exserta ; filamenta complanata, 6-7 mm. longa ; antherae parvae. Ovarium 
glabrum, biloculare; styli 2, quam petala longiores.—Oosterdykia floribus 
spicatis, pentapetalis, foliis oblongis, subincanis serratis, Burm. Pl. Afr. t. 96. 
O. capensis, Crantz, Inst. vol. ii. p. 452.—4, J. CLARK. 
So far as is at present known, the subject of our illustra- 
tion, the Umqwashube of the Kaffirs or Red Alder of 
European settlers in South Africa, is the only African 
representative of the genus Cunonia, the other members of 
which, some ten in number, are confined to New Caledonia. 
While fairly abundant in the forest tracts of South-Eastern 
Africa, where it is a tree reaching a height of some fifty 
feet, C. capensis is hardly entitled to be considered a forest 
tree, because it is rarely to be met with except on the fringes 
of forest tracts. The wood is valuable, being as hard as 
boxwood, resistant to fire and durable in water ; it is besides 
of a rich red colour and is very handsome when polished. 
The scarcity of the tree, however, prevents the extensive 
use of the wood. There used to be large plants of C. 
capensis in various conservatories in the United Kingdom, 
notably a fine example at Syon where it grew well and 
Jury, 1913. 
