798 ASCLEPIADE (Brown). | Tenaris. 
Katanari REGiIon : Transvaal ; Komati Poort, Schlechter, 11733 ! 
In referring this plant to Macropetalum Dr. Schlechter appears to have mis- 
understood its structure, since he figures its corona as cup-shaped with 5 erect 
slightly incurving lobes, linear-subulate from a deltoid base, with the anthers 
adnate to them, erect and quite free from the style-apex, which is quite unlike 
any structure I have seen in any Asclepiad ; the pollen-masses are also inaccurately 
represented. The corona is minute, and unless lightly pressed flowers are examined 
the outer corona-pouches are easily overlooked. The whole coronal structure is 
different from that of Macropetalum and agrees with that of Tenaris, whilst 
specifically the plant is nearly allied to 7’. chlorantha. 
XXXVIII. MACROPETALUM, Burchell. 
Calyx 5-partite. Corolla-tube exceedingly short ; lobes 5, linear- 
filiform, reflexed straight back from their base, valvate in bud. 
Corona small, of 5 simple lobes opposite the anthers, arising above 
the base of the staminal column and adnate to it up to the base of 
the anthers, free above. Staminal column arising from the base of 
the corolla, small, and together with the corona, entirely exserted ; 
anthers erect, applied to the lower part of the sides of the stout 
style-apex, subquadrate or rather broader than long, tipped with a 
membranous appendage. Pollen-masses minute, erect, solitary in 
each anther-cell, with a pellucid linear area close to the apex, 
attached in pairs to the very minute pollen-carriers by short slender 
caudicles at their middle. Style truncate at the apex. Follicles 
erect, slightly diverging, slender, smooth, Seeds not seen. 
Perennial herb with tuberous rootstock ; stems slender, erect, simple or 
branched above ; leaves opposite, filiform ; flowers small, with long corolla-lobes, 
in fascicles of 2-4 at the nodes, 3 
Disrris, Species 1, endemic, 
Allied to Tenaris, but differing in its reflexed corolla, simple and exserted 
corona, and in the very conspicuous anther-appendages. 
1, M. Burchellii (Decne in DC. Prodr. viii. 627); tuber sub- 
globose, 14 in. or more in diam. ; stem 1-14 ft. high, simple or 
sparingly branchad at the middle, }—? lin. thick, with some very 
minute adpressed scattered hairs near the nodes; leaves 1-3 in. 
long, 4-3 lin. thick, filiform, erect or ascending, glabrous ; flowers 
usually in pairs (more rarely 3-4) at the nodes; pedicels 24-3 (in 
fruit 5-6) lin, long, very slender, with a very minute adpressed 
puberulence ; sepals 2 lin. long, lanceolate, acute, erect at the basal 
and reflexed at the apical half, minutely puberulent ; corolla quite 
glabrous, apparently green or yellowish-green; tube about } lin. 
long ; lobes reflexed straight back from their base, 9-11 lin. long, 
3 lin, broad at the linear base, tapering into filiform tails slightly 
thickened at the apex; corona-lobes arising near the base of the 
staminal column and much overtopping it, 3-1 lin, long, wholly 
exserted from the corolla, erect, linear-lanceolate, acute, recurved or 
