corollas are of a uniform dull, dark, fuscous-purple colour, 
and have a very disagreeable odour. The plant from 
which the figure now given was prepared is one sent, in 
1910, by Mr. G. Thorncroft, of Barberton, Transvaal, to 
Mr. W. E. Ledger, of Wimbledon, in whose collection it 
flowered in August, 1912. Another plant sent by Miss 
Leendertz flowered subsequently at Kew. Mr. Ledger 
informs us that he has found the sunny upper shelf of 
a warm greenhouse the ideal situation for this Stapelia; a 
well-drained soil with an admixture of lime rubbish suits 
it excellently. 
. Description.—Herb, leafless, succulent. Stems erect, 
decumbent at the base, 3-5 in. long, 1-} in. thick, 
4-angled, velvety-puberulous, bearing flowers about the 
middle; the angles slightly compressed, toothed, the teeth 
erect. Flowers solitary or in pairs, their pedicels 3-1 in. 
long, } in. thick, velvety. Sepals } in. long, lanceolate 
or ovate-lanceolate, acute, velvety. Corolla large, cam- 
panulate, with the lobes only slightly spreading, puberu- 
lous outside, deeply transversely rugose, and beset as far 
as the middle of the tube with long purple hairs within, 
dull fuscous-purple throughout; tube 2-25 in. long, 
13-24 in. across; lobes 14-2} in. long, 1-1} in. wide at 
the base, narrow deltoid, acute, ciliate with purple hairs. 
Corona with outer lobes 1 in. long, suberect, deeply 2-fid, 
dark purple, the segments diverging, subulate, acute; 
inner lobes 4 in. long, unevenly 2-partite, dark purple; 
the outer segments wing-like, oblong, } in. long, } in. 
wide, denticulate at the tip, the inner segments subulate. 
follicles 44-54 in. long, erect, parallel, fusiform, velvety 
puberulous, green, streaked with dark purple. 
Fig. ‘1, outer and inner corona; 2 lobe of the i ; ir of 
pollen masses :—all enlarged. : of the inner corona; 3, a pair 
