282 GENUS MYSTROPETALOX HARV. ( liALANOPlK )KACi:.7: I . 



'J'he^e six sj)eciniens would represent : — 



A. — A combination of M. Soiiyi with M. I'lioiiiii and i/. 



rclciiianni. 

 h—M ^oliyi. ])\\{ with the female i)erianth of .1/. Thoiiii:. 

 C. — M. 1' ho III i i 'dnd M. Sollyi. 



I^. — M. Pdcmaiiiii, but the male bract partl\- of .1/. Huuuii. 

 E. — M . Poleinaiiiii, btit the female perianth nuich sliorter. 

 F. — ilf. Polenioniii, bitt teeth of female jierianth ditterent. 



It will be seen that not a single plant, even not the co-type of 

 AI. Sollyi, entirely agrees with one of the three diagnoses given, 

 and that if the three species as published are to be maintained, our 

 specimens would represent six other species. 



My sttidy of the variotts specimens mentioned and of a good 

 many others had brought me to the conclusion that there was only 

 one species, but as Harvey's original publication was not acces- 

 sible to me here,* I had to wait until I obtained copies of his 

 illtistrations. W'hen these arrived, I fotmd my views fully con- 

 firmed, for M. TJiomii and M. Polcmanni, as figured by Harvey, 

 merely represent two extreme forms of the species. This was in 



1915- 



In March, 1916, Dr. W. Purcell spent some time at Caledon, 



and kindly undertook to make some ftn"ther observations on the 



biology of the plant. 



This induced him to examine a considerable number of s])eci- 

 mens in order to ascertain their correct specific name, btit finding 

 some diffictilty, he brotight me his notes, when I showed him my 

 notes and the conclusions I had come to. 



How elaborate and detailed Dr. Purcell's observations are 

 will be seen from the notes on two of the specimens, which we 

 insert here w'ith his kind permission : — 



No. 201 (collected March 15, 1916). 



Leaves. — The uppermost: glabrous on up])er side, channelled 

 with a prominent midrib, convex on the lower side, the 

 apex very obttise. the surface hairy, margin ciliate. 



Male Flozver. (Open). — Anterior bract generally more or 

 less spathulate, with a broad claw, sometimes almost 

 broadly linear, and then scarcely wider at the apex than 

 in the middle (in the buds sometimes with a narrow 

 claw), about half the length of the perianth, the pos- 

 terior bracts about half or two-thirds as long as the 

 anterior. 



Female Flower. — Bloom over,, but the anterior bract still 

 longer than the others, varying from broadly linear 



* The " Annals of Nat. History " are not the same publication as the 

 "Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist.," although so quoted by Eichlcr (De Can- 

 dolle's "Prodomus"). Tlic latter title appears for the lirst time in 1841, 

 this journal being the continuation of the " Magazine of Nat. History." 

 The "Annals of Nat. Hist," in which Harvey published his descriptions in 

 1839, are not represented in the South African Public Library. 



