Plants Collected in the Pern/ Sladen Memorial Expeditions. 153 



Namaqualand : Doornpoort Eavine, very abundant, 6132. 

 Lower southern and western slopes of TcAlee Mts., 6019. 



An annual, entirely glabrous, glaucous branched herb, the 

 branches decumbent elongate pallid, up to 06 cm. diam., the 

 internodes 2-5 cm. long, the branchlets ascending ; leaves connate 

 at base, erect-spreading, finally reflexed, persistent in a withered 

 membranous condition, broadly elliptical, sometimes apiculate, 

 strongly concave, often pink on the margin, l*5-5 - 5 cm. long ; 

 flowers 4merous pedunculate, the peduncles 3nate, 0-7-1-2 cm. long, 

 the lateral ones 2bracteate ; calyx clavate, the segments at first very 

 unequal, the two outer ones well developed long before the others, 

 entirely enclosing the rest of the flower between them, withering 

 during the flowering period, leaf-like, broadly elliptical or sub- 

 orbicular, acute, 1-1'5 cm. long, the interior pair finally as long but 

 narrower; petals white, up to 1-5 cm. long; stamens and staminodes 

 in many rows, the anthers very small ; ovary convex, - 5 cm. high, 

 the styles 4, linear acute. 



Described from copious dried material and from living specimens 

 grown in Mr. N. S. Pillans' garden, Rosebank, near Cape Town. It 

 is easily distinguished from all the other species belonging to the 

 § Platyphylla by its tetramerous flowers, and is remarkable for the 

 way in which the outer pair of calyx-segments develop precociously, 

 enclosing the rest of the flower, and exactly simulating bracts. As 

 far as I know this very distinct species has never been collected 

 before, and it therefore seems fitting to name it in honour of the man 

 in whose memory the expedition was made. 



78. M. amplectens, sp. nov., ramis articulatis, foliis e medio 

 conspicue dilatatis, internodia vaginantibus, floribus solitariis, petalis 

 dilute stramineis. 



Herba perennis glabra, ad 15 cm. alta, ramosa, ramis adscenden- 

 tibus articulatis, foliorum vaginis omnino vestitis ; folia saepe alterna 

 distincta, semi-teretia vel interdum turgide 3quetra, obtusa, e medio 

 conspicue dilatata, internodia vaginantia, vaginis persistentibus 

 membranaceis, l"5-3'5 cm. longa ; flores terminales solitarii, 4-vel 

 interdum 5meri, breviter pedunculati, pedunculis omnino foliis 

 supremis inclusis ; calyx globoso-turbinatus papillosus, segmentis 

 inter se valde inaequalibus, 2 foliaceis, petala excedentibus, 2 late 

 membranaceo-marginatis, 0-9-3 cm. longis ; petala 2-3 seriata, 

 acuta, dilute straminea, ad 2 cm. longa ; stamina staminodiaque 

 multiseriata, filamentis glabris ; ovarium conicum, - 5 cm. diam., 

 stylis 4—5 subulatis acuminatis, 0'5 cm. longis. 



