100 



OSYEIS, RhOIACAHPOS and OSYRlDICxUirOS. 



Bergius founded tlie genus Colpoon to receive an Osyris-Vik& 

 plant witli opposite leaves, and gives a figure in his PI. Cap. tab. 

 1 fig. i. De Caudolle in the Prodromus did not retain the genus, 

 but regarded it only as a section of Osyris, Linn., distinguished in 

 possessing opposite leaves. In the Genera Plantarum, Bentham 

 smd Hooker maintain both Osyris and Colpoon, and with the 

 latter unite the genus Rhoiacarpos, A. DC or HamiUonia, Harv. 



In the forthcoming volume of the Flora Capensis it has not 

 been found possible to uphold Bergius' genus Colpoon; the 

 character of the opposite leaves is far from constant, and on the 

 same specimen lea\e& may be found arranged in opposite or sub- 

 opposite pairs or they may be more or less alternate. In 

 floral characters no dilference can be noticed between plants with 

 alternate leaves placed under OsyrI, ahysdnica, Hochst., and those 

 with more or less opposite leaves formerly placed under Colpoon 

 comprcssuiii,BeTg. t'i.- i----- -•- -n • „ , , ^ 



or grey-green and vei 



the inflorescences are as a rule axillary and inconspicuous, and 



The leaves in all specimens arc flat, glaucous- 

 ly variable in shape with mucronate apices; 



there is no distinc ion between the fruits of the plants which have 

 been assigned to the two genera. 



Among the large range of specimens examined the general 

 imitormity in appearance is remarkable, only two specimens pre- 

 tv r T^tl ?f']' Herbarium are strikingly different from the 



f o »; t • '" ^'^'-^1 ^^'^ ^^"^*« ^''^ ^^^"g^ ''^'^ the inflorescences 

 fuim conspicuous panicles, consequently they have been described 



1 



Hochst., var. speciosa, A. W. Hill, a t 



bracteist1nriK,r"' ^^florescentns subaphyllis multo exser 

 bracteis Horibusque majonbus praecipue difPert. 



T.;.±i'^3j-k^'^' How Hoek,^ 350 m. Bolus; near Herma 



(specimens m Bolus Herbarium). 



ued in the forthcoming 



The genus Rlioiacarpos, A.DC, is retai 

 1:£ l*^^..:'^"tV «f ««P^r=»te generic rank. The lpnvP« .re 



onnosifp <afmi+ 011,1 i\.ii — ^,v,xxv.xx^ ictjiji. me leaves are 



thrmarWns sH^^^ varnished or polished above and with 



fleshroi'Teathef l^.r^ ¥'^ ^''^'^'' ^''^ hermaphrodite, 



perianth-tube R.lv ^""''^y Ms^;^^ ^'ith a short but^definit; 

 recorSed. • ^ "''' '^''''''' ^' ^'^P'"^^^^ A.DC. has been 



S;ih^^~^^r!!l!^^-^?--*^!l,- y- Cape. 



the tvne k remarkable i.T,.' '.'""'Z'"'''' ^•^^- The flower in 

 base of the peThnth ' i. ^^ '"'I-^ ^^^ ^^^^"^^^^ callosities at the 

 -gmentf ' ThesfcaltsH eTf Z'^^^" P*^"*^"^^ "^^^^ *^- P^^'^-^*^^' 



of the. ^>x:'i:i:^p^:a^^-:^j^^ -^''''^^ 



Ghubbia. 



Gn,bL,a ccoupK. an anomalous position in the natural o.-Jor 



