Neir and litth- ktioirn Plants. 11") 



production varieties c and d have the peculiarity (which i.s 

 especially pronounced in d) of shedding their upper leaves before 

 the flowers open. At the base of each le^f a bud arises (in c fre- 

 quentlj' before they are drop})ed. in d soon after) which soon takes 

 root and forms a most effective means of propagating the plant. It 

 is interesting to note that in c where this peculiarity is present but 

 jiot so pionounced as in d, the flowers are not piK)duced in such 

 id)undan<3e as in « and ^, while in d there are only very few flowei-s 

 produced at the end of each branch and vegetative sheets (bulbils 

 foiined even in the axils of the bracteoles. In all 4 varieties the 

 leaves are punctulate above and below and in all of them (except 

 /; which is quite glabrous) tlw number and divStribution of the 

 papillore hairs on the stem is variable. The floral characters in 

 all of them are essentially the same except that there are consider- 

 able differences in the sizes of the various parts. The squamae are 

 subquadi-ate, rounded and emarginate above, small, yellowish. The 

 following distinguishing characters have been drawn up from live 

 plants ; in dried specimens it is not always possible to distinguish 

 // and h. All 4 varieties flower in March and April. 



Var. a. tyjrica. — Stem usually 25-30 cm. long. Lowest leaves 

 lanceolate, about 7 cm. long, ascending, concave on the inner 

 surface, convex on the outer, margin papillose-ciliate ; uiqjer 

 leaves almost at right angles to the stem, ovate-acute, slightly 

 convex en the inner surface. Flowei-s pedicelled. Petals 3 mm. 

 long, 1*75 mm. broad; calyx-lobes deltoid, 1.25 mm. long ; stamens 

 2.5 mm. long ; carpels 1'5 mm. long : style short, but distinct. 



Sheldon, Mrs. C. Hutton. 



Var, h. major. Stem frequently 40 cm . long. Lowest leaves 

 frequently" 14 cm. long, otherwise very much as in a except that 

 they frequently show a tendency to become ensiform ; upper 

 leaves ascending, ovate-lanceolate, concave on the inner surface. 

 Flowers pedicelled : petals 3.25 mm. long, 1.25 mm. broad, calyx- 

 lobes sublanceolate, 2.25 mm. long ; stamens and carpels very 

 much as in a. 



Common near Grahamstown and in Lower Albany. 



Var. c. lanceolata. — Stem usuallj^ about 24 cm. long, not so 

 robust as in a and h. Leaves without marginal papillae, 

 lowest ascending or deflexed, 3-4 cm. long, lanceolate, nearly 

 flat on the inner surface, convex and subcarinate on the outer 

 surface, upper leaves deciduous and deflexed, usually ovate, acute 

 or ovate-lanceolate, otherwise like the lower ones, but smaller. 

 Flowers subsessile, petals 2.5 mm. long,l mm. broad ; calyx-lobes 



