144 WAYFARING NOTES IN RHODESIA. 



from the native town — a Stapelia was common ; also a short stunted 

 globular- stemmed Euphoj-bia, the flowers springing from finger-like 

 projections from the stem, the whole plant only some six inches or 

 so in height ; shade-seeking. 



Another plant which hugged the roots of the stunted bush here- 

 about was Decahelone, Mr. N. E. Brown thinks probably D. elegans 

 Dene. The stems consisted of several I'hiphorbia -like rods, many- 

 angled and beset with spines, the whole plant about a foot in height. 

 The flower, large and campanulate in shape, springs by a very short 

 stalk from close to the ground. The short limbs of the corolla are 

 dull yellowish brown in colour, but the interior of the bell is of a 

 deep maroon, colour, approaching black. On first catching sight of 

 the flower it looks much like a hole in the ground. The odour of 

 the flower is offensive, and suggestive of cheese. I was unfortu- 

 nately not able to catch sight of the particular insect or insects for 

 which this lure was spread. 



I have to express my thanks and the great obligations I am 

 under to the officials of the Botanical Department of the British 

 Museum, where my collection is deposited, as also to Mr. Hierii 

 and to Mr. Spencer Moore. 



Mr. Rendle h;is favoured me with the following description of a 

 new species of Moraa, which is conspicuous upon the veldt from 

 the unusually dark maroon colour of tlie flower. Upon closer in- 

 spection it shows an interesting feature. The circumference of 

 each flower-stalk is covered for about an inch in extent by a layer 

 of clear sticky matter, which proves an effective bar to any raiding 

 of the flower by insects crawling up from below. Ants were the 

 raiders against wliom this provisiou seemed to be aimed, if one 

 might judge from the numbers of them trapped, for many of them 

 were glued hopelessly fast to the flower-stalk, and some remain 

 sticking even in the dried specimens. The sticky layer is confined 

 to a definite area of the stalk, and is very adhesive, as is apparent 

 still in the dried plant. 



Morsea Randii Rendle, sp. nov. Planta glabra rigida pro 

 genere elatior, caulibus erecto-ascendentibus valde flexuosis ramosis, 

 ramis ascendentibus ssepe unilateralibus, internodiis superioribus et 

 pedunculis annulo viscido in parte superiore munitis ; foliis rigidis, 

 infimis membranaceis brevioribus, caulem arete vaginantibus, superi- 

 oribus accrescentibus mox linearibus, e basi latiore plicatis, sub 

 apice angustata planis, in ramis florentibus iterum diminuentibus 

 anguste-lauceolatis acuminatis ; pedunculis rigidis subpatentibus, 

 spathis e basi lata lanceolatis, 2-3-floris; periauthio lurido-purpureo, 

 Segmentis e basi in unguem brevem angustata oblanceolatis in mar- 

 gine superiore valde crispulatis et lutescentibus ; antheris oblongis 

 loculis parallelis ; ovario anguste elliptico basi angustato apice 

 rostrato ; capsulo subgloboso, semiuibus rufescentibus. 



A fine plant, the stout spreading ascending shoots reaching 

 nearly 3 ft. in length ; completely enveloped below the first branch 

 by the leaves, which pass from the membranous sheaths at the base 

 into two or three produced linear leaves 7^-10 in. long by 2-2f lines 

 broad; spathes about 1^ in. long ; outermost leaf ovate, 7-10 lines 



