Flora of the Leribe Plateau and Environs. 307 



glaber. Bracteae '7-1 cm. lougae, 3-4 cm. latae, acutninatae, basi 

 saccatae, glabrae, decidnae ; bracteolae 1, 4 mm. lougae, T5-2 latae. 

 Pedicellus ad 7 cm. longus, teres, glaber. Segmenta perianthii basi 

 adnatu, 2 cm. louga, 3'5-4 mm. lata, liueari-oblonga, apice obtusa 

 glandulosaque, glabra. Filament a 9 mm. louga, basi T75 mm. lata 

 planaque, supra lanceolata, acuminata ; antherae 4 mm. longae, 

 oblongae, basi sagittatae. Ovarium 5 mm. longum, 2 mm. latum, 

 oblongum; stylus 7 mm. longus, apice plauus ; stigma 2 mm. latum, 

 paullo tri-lobaturo. Fructus, 3'5 cm. longus, 1'6 mm. latus, ellip- 

 soideus, glaber. Semina 7 mm. longa, 5 mm. lata, plana, alata : testa 

 nigra. 



Bulb not seen. Leave* contemporary with the flowers, 36-52 cm. 

 long, '8-1 '3 cm. broad, linear, acuminate near the tip, obtuse, glab- 

 rous. Inflorescence racemose, about 27 cm. long, laxly 12-18-flowered. 

 Peduncle 35-40 cm. long, glabrous. Bracts '7-1 cm. long, 3-4 mm. 

 broad, boat shaped, keeled, acuminate, glabrous, with a blunt conical 

 spur at the base, membranous, dotted with dark markings, deciduous ; 

 bracteole 1, 4 mm. long, 1/5-2 mm. broad, otherwise similar to the 

 bract. Pedicels 1 cm. long in young flowers, up to 7 cm. long in 

 adult flowers, terete, glabrous. Buds, just before opening, 1 cm. long, 

 4 mm. broad above, 3 mm. broad below, cylindric iu the lower half, 

 campauulate iu the upper. Perianth-segments cohering at the very 

 base (not truly polyphyllous), 2 cm. long, 3'5^t mm. broad, linear, 

 oblong, obtuse, glandular at the apex, glabrous, with a broad band 

 6 mm. wide rnnniug the length of the mid-rib. Stamens 9 mm. long, 

 inserted at the base of the perianth-segments : filaments 9 mm. long, 

 T75 mm. broad below, flattened, constricted at the middle, lanceolate 

 and acuminate in the upper half ; anthers 4 mm. long, oblong, bluntly 

 sagittate at the base. Ovary 5 mm. long, 2 mm. broad, oblong in out- 

 line ; style 7 mm. long, widened at the apex into a stigma ; stigma 

 2 mm. across the top, obsoletely 3-lobed. Capsule 3'5 cm., long 

 1*6 cm. broad, ellipsoid, glabrous, with loculicidal dehiscence. Seeds 

 7 mm. long, 5 mm. broad, discoid, winged; testa black. 



Mountain slopes. 15-36 in. high, flowers greenish-yellow. Spring 

 (October-November), Mavaua-Masovaua, Leribe District, A. Dieterlen, 

 854. 



DISTRIBUTION: Eudemic. 



SESUTO : Moretele o moholo. The " big one " who causes to glide. 

 See note under U. capitata. 



Near V. macrantha, Phillips, but differs in having spotted bracts, 

 smaller flowers, and differently shaped filaments and stigma. The 

 leaves are also contemporary with the flowers. 



