Raphionacme. | ASCLEPIADE (Brown). 539 
on each side of the cusp, or distinctly trifid, or the whole apex 
divided into an irregular fringe of teeth and filiform processes ; 
anthers oblong, or slightly broader at the base, acute; pollen-carriers 
about 2 lin. long, constricted at the middle, the small elliptic blade 
being no broader than the ovate or oblong stalk ; follicles solitary, 
1-21 in. long, 31-5 lin. thick, narrowly lanceolate or ovate-lanceo- 
late, tapering to an acute point, smooth, puberulous ; seeds about 
2 in. long, oblong, obtuse, flattened with a very prominent keel on 
one face, glabrous. Walp. Rep. vi. 480; Schlechter in Engl. Jahrb. 
xviii, Beibl. 45, 2, and in Journ. Bot. 1896, 315; Rand in Journ. 
Bot. 1903, 198. R. pubescens, Hochst. in Flora, 1844, 827; Walp. 
Rep, vi. 480. BR. obovata, Turcz. in Bull. Soc. Mose, 1848, pt. ly 
250; Walp. Ann. iii. 45; Schlechter in Engl. Jahrb, xx., Beibl. 
51, 12. <Apoxyanthera pubescens, Hochst. in Flora, 1843, 78. 
Brachystelma ? hirsutum, E. Meyer, Comm. Pl. Afr. Austr. 197 ; 
Dietr. Synop. Pl. ii. 888 ; Decne in DC. Prodr. viii. 647. 
Var. 8, glabra (N. E. Br.); plant glabrous in all parts or the stem more or 
less puberulous. R. purpurea, Harv. Thes. Cap. i. 41, t. 66. Mafekingra 
parquetiana, Baill. in Baill, Hist. des Pl. x. 303. 
‘Sourm Arrica: without locality, Ecklon, 64 (ex Turczaninow) Pearson! 
the type and var. 8, Zeyher, 1140! ; 
Coast ReGIon: Alexandria Div.; Quagga Flats, Bowie! Albany Div. ; 
Broekhuisons Poort, and in sandy rocky places near Grahamstown, 2000 ft., 
MacOwan, 707! Hutton! Miss Daly, 57! Bathurst Div. ; between Kasuga 
River and Port Alfred, Burchell, 3968! Komgha Div.; grassy hills. near 
Komgha, 1900 ft., Flanagan, 394 ex Schlechter ; Queenstown Div. ; Queens- 
town Flats, Mrs. Barber, 89! near the Zwart Kei River, Cooper, 319! British 
Kaffraria, Cooper, 2708 ! 
Katanart Region: Orange River Colony; Harrismith, Sankey, 19! 
Bethlehem, Richardson! ‘lransvaal; Magalies Berg, Burke! Zeyher ! Pilgrims 
Rest, Greenstock ! Matebe Valley, Holub! Christiana on the Vaal River, 
Nelson, 202! Zuikerbosch Rand (and also var. B), Schlechter, 3499! Var. B: 
Transvaal ; various localities, Burke! Zeyher! Wilms, 962a! Bolus, 8309! 
MacLea in Herb. Bolus, 88310! Conrath, 977! Schlechter, 6385! Olive Nation, 
232! 2741 Leendertz, 406! Burtt Davy, 731! 752! 1060! 1229! 1529! 2314! 
Rand, 861! 1280! Rogers, 240! 300! 801! 
Eastern Recron:' Transkei; near Kentani, Miss Alice Pegler, 876! 
Tembuland; near Bazeia, Bawr, 382 bis partly! Griqualand East, near Kokstad, 
Tyson! Natal; Weenen County, 3000-5000 ft., Sutherland / hills near Pieter 
Maritzburg, Krauss, 106b ex Hochstetter; Inanda, Wood, 368! 527! Port 
Natal, Miss Owen! Dargle Farm, Mrs. Fannin, 38! Var. 8: Transkei ; Kreilis 
Country, Bowker! Tsomo, Bowker, 775! and without precise locality, Hallack ! 
Tembuland ; on hill-sides, &c., near Bazeia, Baur, 382 ! 382 bis partly ! Griqua- 
laud East; mountain slopes around Kokstad, Tyson, 1851! Natal; various 
localities, 500-3000 ft., Sutherland! Sanderson, 84! Gerrard, 1808! Wilms 
(glabrous and pubescent), 2010! 
This is the most widely distributed of the South African species, and is very 
variable. Sometimes it is nearly leafless at the time of flowering, and some 
specimens (Cooper, 319, and Mrs. Barber, 89) in this state are reduced, probubly 
from starvation, to a small cushion-like mass of flowers about 1-1; high. The 
corona-lobes are exceedingly variable, the same flower often having 2 or more 
variations. E. Meyer has stated that the flowers of Brachystelma hirsutum are 
unknown, but I find some withered flowers on his type, which upon dissection 
prove it to belong to this species. Mr. Burtt Davy informs me that the tuber 
attains a diameter of 15 inches. 
