50 Albany Mu-seKiii Rccunl>i. 



appears from these that the plant is not such an evident climber 

 as D. BtirclicJlii. A piece in the Herbarium of the Albany 

 Museum, communicated by Dr. MacO wan, F.L.S. is nearly straight. 

 Its lencfth is 23 cm. 



Anacainp^cro^ papy racea , E. Mey. We owe to Dr. P. MacOwan 

 some of Zeylier's specimens, which were collected on the Gamkas 

 ris'er. It seems to be fairlj' common in the Western Karroo. I 

 have grown for about foi.r yeais some specimens from Nama- 

 qualand, which were sent to me by Mr. G. Alston. In cultivation 

 the stems frequently reach a length of 8 cm. (over 3 inches). All 

 my specimens differed by having somewhat broader stipules than 

 Zeyher's specimens ; they were broadly obovate instead of lingui- 

 form ; the leaves were reniform, green, almost flat on the 

 face, convex on the back, and about ^ the length of the 

 stipules ; the petals were pale green, not yellow ; the sepals 

 are also pale green. Whether these characters constitute specific 

 differences remains to be seen. I am inclined to think that the 

 length of the leaves, and the colour of the flowers as stated in the 

 Flora Capensis is due to a mistake owing to dry material having 

 been used for description. There are 10 stamens (apparently in one 

 whorl) which are attached to the base of the petals and to one 

 another. Filaments subulate, slightly broadened at the base. 

 Anthers oblong, sagittate at the base. Pollen large and not ])ro- 

 duced in great abundance. Ovary globose, green ; style and stig- 

 mata white ; style very short, broad, with 3 sub-lanceolate stigmata. 

 Placenta central, attached to the upper roof of the ovary, ovules 

 very numerous. Capsule and seeds very much the same as in 

 allied spicies. 



It is stated in the Flora Capensis (II, p. 383) that the flowers 

 are included in the uppermost stipules. I have watched this plant 

 carefully now for some years, and I have never seen it leaving 

 these stipules which cover it up closely, so that any cross-fertilisa- 

 tion is impossible, but the petals also never open out. Yet fertile 

 seeds are produced in abundance. A. papyracca has, therefore, 

 cleistogamous flowers and, as far as I know, it is the only plant 

 which, hrsides the clcist(jgannjus, never produces open Jioivers. 

 After fertilisation, the peSSfe elongates slightly, so that at last the 

 capsule gets cjuite clear of the uppermost stipules, and 

 is able to shed its seeds. The stipuka which, when fully 

 developed, consist only of dead tissue, form an excellent pio- 



