3n Alliaiuf Mnxcnm Record^:. 



Grasses," 11)8, under A. umheUata, var. minor) and of Sims 

 (Bot. M ag. t 1400, under A. saponaria, var. minor) are almost 

 ' valueless and cannot help us in elucidating the matter, while 

 Salm-Dyck's plate (I.e. sect. XXIII, fig. 1, under ^. lunhcllata) 

 "differs -in one tangible character from Baker's description (Flora 

 Cap. VII, p 312). The latter describes the bracts as deltoid-cuspi- 

 date, whereas in Salm-Dyck's figure they are lanceolate-acuminate. 

 A specimen in Herb. Alb. Mus., collected by R. Schlechter 

 (no. 9775), unfortunately without leaves, amongst rocks on the 

 Zwartberg (XII. 96) has these deltoidcuspidate bracts, and was 

 named by the collector A. sa/junaria, Haw. On the other hand, 

 specimens from various parts of the Eastei-n Province of Cape 

 Colony and from Natal (See "Natal Plants," by J. M. Wood, 

 A.L.S., and Maurice S. Evans, M.L.A., Vol.1., plate 100) have 

 lanceolate-acuminate bracts. The plants which I have under culti- 

 vation vary, however, so much in size and shape of leaves, colour 

 and markings of leaves, direction, number and sizje of prickles, 

 that I cannot venture to separate them yet, especially as similar 

 variations can be observed in an individual in which the condi- 

 tions under which it is grown are altered from time to time. 

 The forms from' the Eastern Province, above referred to, flower 

 chiefly in October. 



22 (313). A latifolia. Haw.— A plant which is frequently grown 

 in Grahamstown gardens under the name of " Soap-Aloe," 

 sind which is found wild in the neighbourhood, must undoubtedly 

 be referred to this species. It flowers chiefly in January and 

 February. All the specimens, however, I have seen, were acaules- 



, cent, and the plant forms numerous suckers by means of which 

 it spreads quickly. European authors (including Baker) state 

 that the stem reaches 1 — 2 feet in height, but this may be due to 

 the effects of cultivation, as may be seen also in A. striata and A. 

 microstigma, which, when grown under natural conditions, sel- 

 dom develop a stem more than a few inches in height. The pro- 

 portions of our plant, as grown in the Museum grounds, are some- 

 what larger than those given l)y Baker, the leaves reaching 16in. 

 in length, and -l^in. in width, and all other parts are also larger ; 



. but I have seen numerous specimens which agree well with the 

 measurements in the Flora Capensis. I must also mention that 

 in our plants between the larger prickles on the margins of the 

 leaves there are also smaller ones here and there, which sometimes 

 are only just perceptable, and sometimes reach a length of nearly 



• an eighth of an inch, 



