916 CXI. PROTEACE^. 



CXI. PROTEACE^. 



Two suffruticose species of Leucadendron L. occur in Angola 

 proper ; they grow in great abundance, forming broad clumps 

 on the rather dry hills and at the outskirts of forests in the 

 neighbourhood of the great cataract of the river Cuanza from 

 Bumba to near Quisonde ; a third species, which is a small tree, 

 was met with in the forests of Pedras de Guinga, but without 

 flower or fruit ; all the three species were found within the limits 

 of an hour and a half's walk between Bumba and Condo, and 

 there remained not the least trace of Proteacese elsewhere 

 throughout the whole plateau of Angola proper. 



The Proteacese of Huilla are all with one exception very local 

 and restricted to very limited districts ; the species of Faurea were 

 seen in a very few stations and were represented by only few 

 specimens, with the exception of F. saligna Harv, ; during Wel- 

 witsch's frequent excursions, extending over eight months, across 

 the wide highland plateau of Huilla, which is dotted with numerous 

 mountain forests, he found only ten or twelve trees of one species 

 of Leucadendron ; and a similar statement applies to a species of 

 Faurea with leaves glaucous beneath. 



With reference to the peculiar geographical distribution of this 

 Family in South Africa, Burchell remarked (Travels, i. p. 208) 

 that on entering the Karro region, about 32° 40' S. Lat., "four 

 of the strongest and most characteristic features of Cape botany, 

 the Ericse, the Diosmse, and the Proteaceous and Bestiaceous 

 tribes entirely disappeared," and that again seven degrees farther 

 north Protea argentea L., the " wagenboom " of the Cape colonists, 

 or at least a nearly related species, reappeared, although in the 

 whole of the intervening country, where he botanized for two 

 years, " this genus and several others which characterize the 

 botany of the Cape were nowhere to be seen " (Burchell, I.e., ii. 

 p. 475) ; Dr. Kirk reported only one Proteacea from the whole 

 of Zambesia. 



In his letter addressed to Alph. de Candolle (in Archiv. Sc. 

 Phys. Geneve, July 1861, p. 11), Welwitsch showed that his 

 discoveries led to the conclusion that on the west side of Africa 

 the Cape flora extends towards the north, but that on the east 

 side the tropical flora extends southwards towards the Cape ; 

 these observations thus confirmed the somewhat similar view of 

 Dr^ge in Flora, 1843, Besond. Beig. ii. pp. 19, 20. 



In Welwitsch's opinion Proteacese are intimately related to 

 Loranthacese ; compare the perianth of Faurea discolor Welw. ; 

 Loranthacese, indeed, seem to be merely parasitical Proteacea?. 

 The scales or bracts subtending each flower in certain species of 

 Faurea are really cupuliform, and are fixed on the rachis of the 

 spike like an external calyx, possibly analogous to a corresponding 

 condition in Tricalysia (Ptubiacete). The hairs or beards of 

 Proteaceae are very changeable in colour ; they are sometimes 



