368 MELIANTHE (Sond.) [Melianthus. 
Drege! 7176., and on Los Tafelberg, 6-zoo0f. Drege/ 7177! Zuureberg, Burke. — 
Oct.-Dec. (Herb. Sond., T.C.D.). ee 
A shrub with round, alternate, greyish-white branches ; branchlets canescent or 
villous. Leaves 4-6 inches long. Stipules six lines long, semi-cordate at base. 
Petiole winged between the leaflets. Leaflets 13-21 inches long, 6-8 lines wide. 
Racemes frequent between the leaves on the branches, the uppermost sometimes 
axillary, three inches long. Flowers green at base, the sepals and petals oraige- 
yellow within, the larger marked externally with a red spot. Bracts wide, canes- 
cent or villous, 6-8 lines long, longer than the flower-stalks, equalling the fruit- 
stalks. Calyx canescent, the two lower segments ovate-acuminate, eight lines long, 
the calyx, connate at the claws, the lamina oblong or spathulate-lanceolate. Longer 
stamens equalling the calyx. Capsule one inch long, downy-canescent, netted, sub- 
emarginate at base and apex, with compressed valves, four-winged. Style subulate, 
in the notch. Seeds mostly 2, sub-globose, black, shining. Embryo in fleshy or 
horny albumen. In a few specimens I have seen a fifth petal placed between the 
lower lobe of the calyx, very slender, clawed, with a lamina one line long, taper 
ing into a three-line-long claw. 
3, M. minor (L. sp. p. 892, excl. syn. Com.); leaflets lanceolate, ser- 
rate, glabrous above, albo-tomentose underneath ; stipules lanceolate- 
subulate; racemes erect ; flowers approaching in whorls ; bracts lanceo- 
late-subulate-attenuate ; upper calyx segment cuspidate-acuminate ; pe 
tals lanceolate-linear ; capsule toughish-membranous (like parchment), 
whitish-tomentose, sab-globose, 4-angled. Vahl, symb. wii. p. 85. Thunb. 
Fl. Cap. p. 489. HE. & Z.! 776. Diplerisma minus, Pl. 1. ¢. p. 416, tab. 
xx. fig. 14-15 (excl. fr.). 
Has. Sands at Saldanha Bay, at Kange River, Thunberg, B. & Z.! Stony hills 
at Ebenezer and in Langvalei, below tooof. Drege? Nov.-Jul. (Herb. Lehm., 
Sond. ). 
A 2a very similar to the preceding. Branchlets and inflorescence rather can: 
escent. Leaves 5-6 inches long. Stipules narrow, four lines long. Petiole wm 
between the leaflets. Leaflets 14-2 inches long, 6-10 lines wide. Racemes 6-52 
inches long, sub-terminal. Flowers dull red. Peduncles } inch long, bracts 8 
lines. Lower calyx-segments 8 lines long, 2 lines wide at base ; upper _6 lines 
long, linear, abruptly taper-pointed from the middle (3 toothed, the middle tooth 
longest) ; lateral segments lanceolate-subulate. Petals 4, longer than the calyx, 
8 lines long, 1 line wide, clawed, the claws downy, connate, lamina glabrous ; the 
outer above the base, on each side furnished with a linear tooth. Disc horse-shoe- 
shaped. Longer stamens equalling the calyx. Capsule 8 lines long, loculicidally 
four-valved, the valves not compressed, with a dorsal longitudinal furrow. Con- 
founded by all the older authors and by Linnzus with the preceding, but well dis 
tinguished by Vahl, on account of the inflorescence and bracts. The capsule, hi- 
therto undescribed, is more rigid, acutely angular, but in no respect winged. — 
4. M. Dregeana (Sond.); leaflets lanceolate, serrated, villous-downy 
_ above, with stellate hairs, albo-tomentose underneath ; stipules lanceolate, 
__ Subulate-acuminate, half-cordate at base; racemes nodding, flowers al- 
ee tiie sy bracts cordate-acuminate ; upper calyx-segment lanceolate, 
= inate; petals... . ..; capsule coriaceous-sub-lignescent, tomen- 
ssed- obtusely four-angled, 
ssy places between Kachu, Geelhoutrivier and Zandplaat, 1000-20008. 
oP ss tee es 
ss pean + W. wi | branchlets - 
Sarin ihe upper leaves and in pe a ol Leaves 
tM. the petiole winged between the leaflets, which are quite 
» the fruit-bearing a little thickened at top. Calyx — 
ee 
the upper segment lanceolate, 1 inch long, lateral linear. Petals 4, equalling 
