86 POLYGALE (Harv.) [ Polygala. 
spartioides, P. simplex and P. ephedroides, HK. §& Z. 148, 149, 150. P. 
macra, Drege (non. DC.). P. genistordes, Poir. DC. Prod, t. p. 323. 
#. & Z. 1 151. 
Has. Subalpine places, among shrubs ; Eastern Districts to Port Natal. (v. v. 
and Herb. T.C.D., Hook., Sond., &c.) 
A shrub, or small tree, 2-5-15 feet high, with rod-like branches, terminating in 
racemes of handsome purple or fiesh-coloured fiowers. It varies extremely in dif- 
ferent localities (as above indicated) ; but after a careful examination of multitudes 
of specimens in several Herbaria, I cannot find any constant characters to separate 
the book-species enumerated above. The 3 first varieties run insensibly into each 
other ; and the sth (<)is obviously a starved state, from dry ground. Var. 5, which is 
smaller in all parts, with much shorter racemes, looks more like a distinct species ; 
but I cannot find an absolute character. 
9. P. hottentotta (Presl. Bem. p. 15.) ; rigid, suffruticose (or annual 4) 
erect, glabrous, with slender, virgate branches ; leaves narrow-linear, or 
subulate, mucronate, scattered, sub-erect, flattish, tapering at base ;racemes 
terminal, elongate, many flowered, pedunculate, the flowers often secund ; 
bracts deciduous, lanceolate, acute ; pedicels clavate, much shorter than 
the flower ; alz obovate-elliptical, very blunt, ant. sepals oval, very ob- 
tase ; keel acute, amply crested, lateral petals broadly obovate ; capsule 
obcordate, winged ; seeds albo-tomentose. Drege No. 7194! P. pedun- 
eulata, E. & Z.; No. 152, (non DC.) P. cernua, E.& Z.! (74, (non 
Thunb.), P.uneinata, Hochst. Zeyher No. 1936. 
Has. Karroo places, Graaf Reynet and Uitenhage, F. & Z./ Riet River, and 
Macallisberg, Burke/ Natal, Krauss / Sanderson / (Herb. T.C.D., Hook., Sond.,) 
A slender, erect, suffruticose or perhaps annual or biennial plant, nearly agreeing 
with P. virgata in floral characters, but much smaller and less woody.—To my eyes 
this plant resembles the much-disputed figure in Burman (tab. 74. fig. 4.) on which 
De. founds his P. Burmanni ; but, without reference to De Candolle’s Herbarium, 
it would be unsafe to quote the latter name. 
10. P. seminuda (Harv.) ; herbaceous, erect, minutely downy or gla- 
brous, with flexuous branches ; leaves few and distant, patent, linear, 
tapering at base, sub-petiolate, flattish ; racemes terminal (and lateral), 
erect, elongating, many flowered ; pedicels very short, scarcely exceed- 
ing the elluptic, obtuse, sub-persistent bracts; ale elliptical, oblique at 
base, obtuse, midribbed, ant. sepals obovate ; keel very blunt, crested, 
ro — broadly spathulate ; capsule obcordate ; seeds half-glabrous. 
-yher, No. 58! 
Hodk, ao Keel and Bitterfontein, aahe? Pappe (No. 30.) (Herb. T.C.D. 
; apparently annual? Stem 8-12 inches high, irregularly branched, terete. 
Flowers small, 1-2 lines long ; the keel oe ee the ale pale, with a green 
rib. The seeds are naked for half their length, and densely albo-setose on the 
ro upper) half Tt comes nearest to P. leptophylla, but differs in habit, and in 
AL. P. leptophylla (Burch. ! in DC. Prod. 1. p. 323-); suffruticose, 
pele girs much Geanthed glabrous or ake wer Ltn straight, 
and rigid branches ; leaves few and distant, patent, linear, obtuse or 
mucronulate, tapering at base, petiolate ; racemes mostly terminal, 
erect, gid, elongating, many: a very short and flowers 
pendulous ; bracts elliptical, obtuse, tardily deciduous ; al elliptic-ob- 
long, oblique at base, obtuse, midribbed, ant. sepals obovate ; keel 
gE ROR > cae aa aimaimaal 
