o 



09 



hardened, red-brown. Flower-stem probably about 2 ft. hig^li, 

 only portions of the base and apex seen, 3^-4| lin, thick at the 

 base, with about 3 sheaths on the basal part and a long^ spike- 

 like raceme of flower-clusters above. Bracts on the apical part 

 1^-2 lin. long, ovate, ol)tuse, membranous, those below not seen. 

 Flowers i-Q (or more?) in a cluster; pedicels 3-3|- lin. (or more?) 

 lo^g". jointed below the middle, with the persistent part 1^-1^ lin. 

 long on the dried specimen seen. Tube 3^-4 liii. long, scarcely 

 or but slightly inflated at the base," about 1^ lin. in diani.; lobes 

 about \ in, long, linear, obtuse, revolute. 



Bechuanalaxd. On the banks of the River Botletle in the 

 Kalahari desert, 3000 ft. Mrs. Lugard, 9! shore of Lake Ngami 

 and the River Botletle, Nicolhl , 



There is also a specimen that was sent from Buluwayo in 

 Rhodesia, in the collection at the Imperial Institute and a 

 portion of it at Kew, which appears to belong to this species. 



14. S. varians, N, E. Brown. Stemless, Leaves 4-8 to a 

 growth, two-ranked erect or ascending, straight or slightly 

 curved, very slightly rough, 1^-3| ft. long, |-| in. thick at the 

 base, variable, on some growths of adult plants all or most of 

 the leaves are cylindrie, with an acute channel much narrower 

 than the leaf and having green acute edges all down the face, 

 gradually tapering to an acute hard whitish point \-\ in. long; 

 on other growths a few of the outer leaves are half cylindric, 

 shortly and somewhat abruptly acute, having a flattish or 

 shallowly trough-shaped channel as broad as the leaf down the 

 face, with acute hard red-brown margins often edged with a 

 white membrane when young, dull dark grnss-green, not 

 glaucous, with numerous longitudinal dark green lines, some of 

 which, with age, become impressed, forming slight furrows, 

 when young indistinctly banded with dark and lighter green. 

 Flower-stem 2-2-^ ft. high, light glaucous-green or greyish-green, 

 indistinctly marked with transverse mottlings on the upper part, 

 bearing 2 distinct whitish membranous acuminate sheaths 

 |-1| in. long on the basal part and a long spike-like raceme of 

 flower-clusters above. Bracts membranous, ^-i in. long, linear 

 or filiform from a broadened base, acute, white. Flowers 6-10 

 in a cluster; pedicels 2-2| lin. long, jointed slightly above the 

 middle; tube 5-6 lin. long, white; lobes 7-8 lin. long, recurving 

 or revolute, linear, obtuse, white, speckled with purple at the 

 tips. 



Country uxkxowx. 



om 



many 



W 



to S. jjatens, differing by its leaves not being- nearly so stout, 

 fewer to a growth, erect or ascending instead of spreading from 

 the base, and by having more flowers in a cluster. Wheji seen 

 growing side by side, S. patens and S. varians are quite different 

 in appearance, although there is little to distinguish them 

 technically. Tlie plant flowered at Kew April 23, 1909 and 

 May 2, 1914. 



