214 



mucli 



ort the inner leaves, extending from the base nearly or quite 

 to the apex, uniformly deep green, without transverse bands, 

 but marked with very numerous continuous or interrupted longi- 



more 



forming slight furrows; margins of the channel acute, dark red 

 brown, with or without white membranous edo-es. Flower-stem 



■m _ _ _ _ _ _ ^^ 



o 



le ereen. m 



with darker, bearing about 2 narrow acuminate sheaths 1|-2| in. 

 long on the basal part, and a compact raceme about 15 in. long 

 of numerous flower-clusters above. Bracts inconspicuous, l|-2 lin. 

 long, membranous, acuminate. Flowers 8-9 in a cluster; 

 pedicels 2i-3 lin. long, jointed at or slightly below the middle, 

 with the persistent part 1-li lin. long and the deciduous part 

 thickened upwards, dingy whitish-green; tube 4-6 lin. long, 

 1 lin. in diam. at the very slightly swollen base, rather more 

 slender above, white; lobes Ti-9 lin. long, linear, obtuse, white. 

 The flowers seem sometimes to open at night or early morning 

 and close about 10 a.m. ; at others they open in the forenoon and 

 <dose about 4.30 p.m. The odour resembles that of an Acacia. 



Ehodesia. Without precise locality. Described from a living 

 plant sent by the Director of the Imperial Institute to Kew in 

 1908, where it flowered in January, 1912. 



This species is closely related to S. Pearsonii, N. E. Br., but 

 certainly seems distinct, when the living plants are placed side 

 by side. The leaves of S. rhodesiania do not taper nearly so 

 rapidly as those of S. Pearsonii, are parallel, and not diverging 



more compre 



and the 



dark green lines are continuous (not interrupted) and more evident 



than in S. Pearsonii. 



_ 18. S. sordida, N. E. Brown (Fig. 8)—Rootstock, creeping. 



.Sfem none or very short, and concealed by the closely imbricating 

 leaf-bases. Leaves, 4-12 to a growth, 2- ranked, slightly spread- 

 ol°o, n^^f^' straight, or slightly curved, remarkably rough, 



91 



3i ft. long, H 



om 



3 1 in. thick 



Irom side to side at the base, slic^htly compresscd-cylindric 



tapenng into an acute spme-like whitish or o-rev 

 With brown at its base §4 lin. long, with a chann. 



mar 



channel all down the 

 much narrower than the leaf for the 



greater part of its length, becoming flattened towards the base, 

 and with 11-15 or perhaps more grooves down the sides and back, 



o-j -*^-.. ^^u-xoii-giccii, Willi numerous 



them 



those 



interrupted; margins of the channel with a very narrow 

 hardened dark brown border extending to the apex and more or 

 less edged with a white membrane. Flower-stem 1-2 ft hijrh and 

 4 m thick at the base ; dull light green, minutely dotted with 

 white, the upper f-f with a spike-like raceme of numerous flower- 

 clusters, and the lower third bearing 2-3 distant membranous 

 slieatlis 5-I2- m. long, tapering from their base to a fine subulate 

 point. Bracts 1-i m. long, subulate and soon withering fr(mi 

 a stout green base, becoming rather inconspicuous. Flowers 7-14 



