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306 SAXIPRAGACEE (Harv.) [Vahlia. 
outlying species in tropical and southern Africa. Foliage various in the differ- 
ee saber Flowers amlek, regular, cymose or racemose, rarely of large size, 
but often brightly coloured and abundant. This is a very large and very undefin- 
‘able Order, allied on the one hand to Rosacee, from which the albuminous seeds 
nearly always distinguish it, and on the other to Crassulacew and Ribesiacee. None 
are particularly useful to mankind. 
TABLE OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN GENERA. 
Sub-Order 1. Saxrrraces. Herbaceous or suffruticose plants with alternate or 
opposite, exstipulate leaves. 
I. Vahlia.— Ovary inferior ; styles 2, spreading. Leaves opposite, simple, linear. 
Sub-Order 2. Cunonrem. Shrubs or trees, with opposite, compound (or simple) 
leaves and interpetiolar stipules. 
II. Cunonia.— Flowers racemose. Petals entire. Leaves pinnate. 
III, Platylophus.—Flowers panicled. Petals trifid. Leaves trifoliolate. 
Sub-Order 3. Escatonrem. Shrubs or trees, with alternate, simple, exstipulate 
leaves. Stamens as many as the petals, in a single row. 
IV. Montinia.— Flowers dicecious, 4-cleft, white, terminal, or corymbose. A gla- 
brous bush with lanceolate, entire leaves. 
V. Choristylis.—Flowers 5-cleft, minute and green, in axillary, short panicles. A , 
vie? with vate, serrate, strongly nerved and veined leaves. M'f,/u 2. Chama Capp hit 
Sub-Order 4. ? Greyie®.—Shrubs or trees with alternate, exstipulate leaves and 
sheathing petioles. Stamens in two rows ; those of the outer row abortive, of the 
inner perfect, exserted, twice as many as the petals. 
VI. Greyia. Flowers racemose, bright crimson ; stamens much exserted. 
I, VAHLIA, Thunb. 
Calyx-tube adhering to the ovary ; limb 5-parted, persistent, with 
valvate wstivation. Petals 5, spreading, entire, epigynous. Stamens 5. 
Ovary inferior, one-celled, with two mult-ovulate placente, pendulous 
from the apex of the cavity. Styles 2, spreading ; stigmata capitate. 
Capsule membranous, opening between the styles. Seeds minute, very 
numerous. DC. Prod. 4, p. 53. Endl. Gen. 4631. 
African or Asiatic herbs or suffruticose, small plants, glabrescent or villous. 
Leaves opposite, exstipulate, linear or lanceolate, entire. Pedicels axillary, 2-flow- 
ered ; or in pairs, t-flowered. Flowers white. Name in honour of Martin Vahl, 
Professor of Botany at Copenhagen, and author of many botanical works. 
iY, Capensis (Thunb. Cap. p. 246) ; many-stemmed, branched 
from the base, pubescent or glabrescent; leaves linear or narrow-lanceo- 
late ; peduncles 2-flowered, shorter than the leaves ; capsules turbinate. 
DC. Prod. 4, p. 53. HE. & Z.! 1764. Russelia Capensis, Linn. f. : 
Has. Verkeerde Valley, Thunberg. Duiker Valley, Cape, and the Kamiesberg, 
E.&Z.! Wolf R., Burke § Zeyher! Zwartland, Wallich. Many localities to the north 
of Capetown, near the west coast, Drege! Namaqualand, A. Wyley/ (Herb. D. Sd. Hk.) 
Stems 6 inches to 2 feet long, woody and much-branched below, herbaceous above ; 
the twigs 6-12 inches long, simple. “Pubescence either scanty or dense and woolly. 
Leaf-pairs 1-1} inch apart ; leaves 8-ro lines to 14 inch long, either very narrow- 
linear with revolute margins, or flat and lanceolate. Peduncles axillary, either very 
short or 2-6 lines long, forked, bearing 2 flowers. Calyx-lobes lanceolate, longer 
than the pubescent ; petals white, shorter than the calyx-lobes. 
Il. CUNONIA, Linn. 
Calyx free, 5-parted, deciduous. Petals 5, oblong, entire. Stamens 
10. Ovary free, conical, 2-celled, with mult-oyulate sutural placente. 
