950 ASCLEPIADE (Brown). [ Stapelia. 
inner surface are much more evident than they are in S. gigantea, Described 
from a living plant. There is some uncertainty about this species being really a 
native of Natal. 
[16. S. Massoni (Haw. Syn. Pl. Succ. 18) ; stems 6-8 in. high, 
6-8 lin. square, with the angles much compressed, softly puberulous, 
green ; teeth with incurved-erect rudimentary leaves 1-14 lin. long ; 
flowers 1-3 together near the base of the stems, successively 
developed; pedicels 1-1} in. long, 14-14 lin. thick, velvety- 
puberulous as are the 34-4 lin.-long lanceolate acute sepals ; corolla 
4 in. in diam. with the lobes extended, rather minutely and not 
densely puberulous on the back; inner face transversely rugose, 
raw beef colour or dull purple, darker at the tips of the lobes, not 
shining, with transverse yellowish-white lines on the central part of 
the lobes, which are about 14 in. long, ? in. broad, lanceolate, acute, 
flat, recurved or very spreading and the tips variably recurved, 
densely ciliate to the tips with long simple purple hairs, glabrous on 
the upper 3, thickly covered at their base and on the disk with soft 
short erect purplish hairs ; outer corona-lohes ascending-spreading, 
with recurved tips, about 2} lin. long, linear, subacute, concave 
down the face, blackish-purple ; inner corona-lobes blackish-purple, 
with the dorsal wing free nearly or quite to the base, rather 
spreading, 2—24 lin. long, deltoid to linear-oblong, entire or more 
usually with 1 tooth on the inner margin ; inner horn ascending- 
spreading and usually semewhat recurved, about 3 lin. long, 
triquetrous-subulate, acute. Schultes, Syst. Veg. vi. 16; G. Don, 
Gen. Syst. iv. 115; Deene in DO. Prodr. viii. 663 ; N. EB. Br. in Gard. 
Chron. 1883, xx. 761; Schlechter in Journ. Bot. 1898, 481. 
Var. 8, livida (N. E. Br.); corolla raw-beef colour to dull dark purple, with- 
out transverse whitish or yellowish lines ; otherwise as in the type. 
Sourn Arrica ;: cultivated specimens ! 
According to Haworth this plant was introduced before 1808. I suspect, how- 
ever, that it did not come from South Africa, but probably originated in some 
European garden. It is very closely allied to S. Asterias, Masson, and may 
have been derived from that species, differing chiefly in the corolla not being 
shining and the inner horns of the inner corona-lobes more slender and much 
more acute than in S. Asterias. I describe the type and var. 8 from living plants. 
Although Haworth does not describe the flowers of S. Massoni, I believe the 
plant here described to be that species, as it is one that has been in cultivation for 
very many years under that name. No specimen named S. Massoni is contained 
in Haworth’s Herbarium, but one named S. sororia, dated 1832, is identical with 
S, Massoni.} 
(17. 8. virens (Link, Enum. Pl. Hort. Berol. i. 258, by error 
vlrens, name only); stems 4-7 in. high, }—} in. square, with com- 
pressed angles and erect rudimentary leaves 1-1} lin. long at the 
teeth, puberulous, rather light green; flowers 1-5 together at the 
lower part of the young stems, successively developed or sometimes 
2 open at the same time; pedicels }-1 in. long, velvety ; sepals 
3-34 lin. long, lanceolate, acute, velvety ; corolla about 3 in. in 
