Stapelia. | ASCLEPIADE& (Brown). 999 
in DC. Prodr. viii. 659; Schlechter in Journ. Bot. 1898, 479. 8S. orbiculata, 
J. Donn, l.c. 43. 8. orbicularis, Lodd. Bot. Cab. t. 811; Fl. des Serres, xii. 187, 
t. 1281; Le Jardin, 1892, 175. 8S. ophiuncula, Haw. Syn. Pl. Succ. 27 ; Schultes, 
Syst. Veg. vi. 27 ; @. Don, Gen. Syst. iv. 117 ; Deene in DC. Prodr. viii. 663 (name 
only). 8S. ophioncula, Schlechter in Journ. Bot. 1898, 482 (name only). 8. 
bidentata, Salm-Dyck, Hort. Dyck. 266. 8. monstrosa, Steud. Nom, ed. 2, ii. 631 
(name only). 8S. ciliolulata, Tod. ex Riist in Monatsschr. Kakt. vi. 38. Orbea 
bisulca, Haw., and O. bufonia, Haw. Syn. Pl. Succ. 39, 40; G. Don, Gen. Syst. iv. 
119, 120. 
Coast Recion: Cape Div.; Table Mountain, &c., Barkly, 45! 60! 61! 
MacOwan, 2250! Pillans! cultivated specimens ! Oaklands, Jameson ! 
Jacquin's figure of S. bufonia on t. 35 is very badly coloured and does not agree 
with his description, which states that the inner face of the corolla is ‘‘ entirely dirty 
yellow, with scattered blackish spots and transverse striz of the same colour.” 
Under cultivation I have found this typical dark-flowered form, in which the 
spots and lines are confluent, sometimes produces on the same individual much 
lighter coloured flowers resembling those figured by Jacquin as a variety of 
S. bufonia on t. 36 ; this lighter coloured form is also much commoner than the 
darker variation. S. monstrosa and S. ophiuncula are undescribed, but plants that 
were in cultivation under those names many years ago belong to this variety ; 
S. monstrosa merely has fasciated stems, and S, ophiuncula is a condition with long 
stems, which become short when exposed to full sunlight. S. bisulca is a slight 
form with the outer corona-lobes not very deeply notched, but this character 
varies, as in one flower of Haworth’s type of Orbea bisulca they are much more 
deeply notched. 
S. bifolia (Schultes, Syst. Veg. vi. 49, and G. Don, Gen. Syst. iv. 117), of which 
no description is given, is probably an error for S. bufonia. 
S. orbicularis (Andr. Bot. Rep. vii. t. 439 ; Poir. Encycl. Suppl. v. 233 ; Schultes, 
Syst. Veg. vi. 40; Decne in DC. Prodr. viii. 660 ; Schlechter in Journ. Bot. 1898, 
482. Orbea orbicularis, Haw. Syn. P].Suce. 40 ; G. Don, Gen. Syst. iv. 120). This 
illustration which has puzzled every student of Stapelias, I believe to be a bad figure 
of S. bufonia, badly coloured in the same way as Jacquin’s, by representing 
the ground colour as brown with transverse yellow lines instead of a yellow 
ground with purple-brown spots, and the inner corona-lobes with very short 
outer horns. I have never seen a flower like it and believe the corona-lobes 
to have been either damaged or imperfectly developed, and as Andrews states 
that he had only seen the plant in Loddiges’ collection and Loddiges’ own figure 
of S. orbicularis (an excellent one of the common form of var. bufonia) distinctly 
represents the outer horns as long as in typical bufonia, I think there is little 
doubt that Andrews’ figure is intended for that plant. There are forms or hybrids 
in cultivation which have light coloured flowers as in var. planiflora, but have the 
shallowly basin-shaped disk of var. bufonia. 
S. hispida, Horn ex Riist in Monatsschr. Kakt. vi. 37, is a slight form of var. 
bufonia, with the spots rather fewer and those on the annulus somewhat larger 
than usual, the annulus is also irregularly margined with purple-brown, leaving an 
irregular few-spotted light yellow ring on the rim. 
S. natalensis, Riist, l.c. 87, is another form of var. bufonia or hybrid with 
darkly coloured flowers, from the spots being rather crowded and those on the 
annulus larger than usual. 
S. atrata, var. tigrina, Dammann ex Riist, 1.c. 38, has no resemblance in colour 
to S. atrata, Tod., but is a variation or hybrid of var. bufonia, with the spots 
showing some tendency to arrangement in longitudinal rows ; annulus very light : 
yellow with small round purple spots; outer horn of the inner corona-lobes — 
