Piaranthus.] ASCLEPIADEZ (Brown). 1023 
9. P. comptus (N. E. Br. in Hook. Ic. Pl. t. 1924, B); stems 
tufted, erect or decumbent, #—1 (or under cultivation up to 3) in. 
long, 4—7 lin. thick, obtusely 4-angled, with the teeth along the angles 
tubercle-like, apiculate, sometimes rather obscure, dull green or 
greyish-green, subglaucous ; flowers 1-4 (often 2) together, between 
the angles, near or at the apex or sometimes near the middle of the 
stem, erect; pedicels 2—6 lin. long, glabrous ; sepals #—14 lin. long, 
ovate or lanceolate, acuminate, glabrous ; corolla rotate, 7-9 lin. in 
diam., glabrous and dull greenish or greenish-brown outside, shortly 
pubescent all over the inner face, not ciliate, whitish, marked all 
over with small round dark purple-brown spots; disk flattish ; 
lobes 24-3} lin. long, 2 lin. broad at the base, ovate-lanceolate, 
acute or acuminate, slightly convex from the margins being slightly 
recurved ; corona-lobes closely incumbent on the backs of the 
anthers and not prolonged beyond them, }~1 lin. long, linear or 
linear-lanceolate, acute, obtuse or subdenticulate at the apex, 
dorsally expanded at the base into a truncate minutely tuberculate 
or more or less bifid crest, with or without a small warted tubercle 
between the teeth at the top, entirely yellow or dotted with purple- 
brown ; odour somewhat sour, only perceptible close to the flower.— 
K. Schum. in Engl. und Prantl, Pflanzenfam. iv. ii. 277. Caralluma 
compta, Schlechter in Journ. Bot. 1898, 479. 
Var. f, ciliatus (N. E. Br.); corolla-lobes ciliate with vibratile clavate hairs, 
otherwise as in the type. 
CentraL Reaton: Beaufort West Div.; near the Gamka River, Burke! 
Zeyher, 1145! Prince Albert Div. ; near Prince Albert, Marloth, 4586! Karoo at 
Grootfontein, Dickson! Barkly, 58! 71! 73! Pillans, 91! and_ cultivated 
specimens! Var. 8: Prince Albert Div. ; Grootfontein, Pillans, 186! Laingsburg 
Div. ; near Laingsburg, Chalwin ! : 
Western Recion: Little Namaqualand, Herb. Pillans, 90! 
Described from living plants. 
10. P. parvulus (N. E. Br.) ; stems decumbent or ascending, {—-1 
in. long, 4-7 lin. thick, oblong or ovoid-oblong, obtusely 4-angled, 
with 3-5 tubercle-like apiculate teeth $-1} lin. long along each angle, 
greyish-green or perhaps slightly glaucous (sometimes dull light 
green under cultivation), tinged or mottled with purple; flowers 
gradually developing up to 12 in number from the same point, but 
seldom more than 2 or 3 open together in the same fascicle, often 
2-3 fascicles to a stem, at the middle or top; pedicels erect, }—} in. 
long, rather slender, glabrous ; sepals } lin. long, lanceolate, acute, 
glabrous ; corolla rotate, without a distinct tube, 5-6 lin. in diam. ; 
lobes very spreading, 2-24 lin. long, 1-1} lin, broad at the base, 
deltoid-lanceolate, acute, glabrous on the back, velvety-puberulous 
on the inner face, not ciliate ; straw-yellow, without spots ; corona- 
lobes 3-1 lin. long, much overtopping the staminal column, in some 
= plants connivent with recurved-hooked tips, in others erect with the 
