254 



acute, green, with broad whitish margins. Pedicels 2i-3 lin. 

 long, jointed at the apex, close under the swollen base of the 

 flower, with no distinct deciduous part, slightly glaucous. Other- 

 wise as in the type. 



BuiTiSH East Africa. Tsavo district, scarce, Powell, 8 ! 



Described from a living plant, which flowered at Kew in 

 August, 1911. This species and its variety is very distinct from 

 all others, and has rather handsome foliage. Trom the length 

 and thickness of its rigid leaves it would probablv yield a fibre 

 of about the same quality and bulk as that of S. KirJdi. 



. ^^o ?^-^*^o^\'' ^c^'^'' ^^ ^"""^ ^''^^•' ^^^7' 1S8T, pp. 8 and 3, 



tig. 6 (J?ig. 25). Stemless, with a stout creeping rootstock and 

 crowded leaf-tufts. Leaves 1-3 to a growth, very ri^id or some- 

 times becoming stiffly coriaceous towards the apex, smooth. In 

 luvenie plants spreading or recurved-spreading, 7-15 in. or more 

 long, I4-34 m. broad, scarcely or but shortly petiolate, concave 

 or flattish, lanceolate acute, tipped with a firm or hard pale 

 whitish-brown point y m long, very wavy along the sides ; 

 margins hardened, reddish-brown, and when young%dged with 



rc^; t^l "1^'^ '^'^^ ^''S^^^ "P "^^° thre.?d-like fifres. In 

 W fi '.i • }!'''"'%' T.^-^ (°" according to Ktrk up to 9) ft. 

 ]onS, 2i-3| m. broad, 4-7 Im. thick at about the middle, erect 

 or ascendmg-spreadmg, or m some cases the upper part is more 



str r.halT w>T tr" ^'''^'''^' elongate-lanLolat? or broadly 

 uve^nll. W l\ ' ^P^^',^'^7 ^«^?i^B and, edges as in thi 

 IB fl!th-il ' ^* '^°'? ""' ^'^'. ^^^'^^^ ^* ^^' base^of the stout 



on 'tW back'V.'d''n "^°'''' ^?/ ""''y ^''^^ ^°^^^^^ed midrib 

 very stout ie?>W^r ^^^^''^^^^ ^^°^* ^^^ ^i^^le into a 

 IMn thL f?o^ concave-channelled petiole l-l^ in. broad and 



faces of all form. 'If 1 ?'' *' *¥ ^'^^ '^^^^^^ ^^'^'^ both sur- 

 liS ^las 4een .ll f ^^'"^f ^een on both sides or rather 



dustef wi if ' een n^^^ «^;* greyish-green beneath (as if densely 



«W' o^a^uf rene tt I'oS Z ^ ITei \' ^'^^K'^'r''^' 

 Tersely barred wi+>> x.-! ;+• i • ? tendency to be trans- 



^:^iiis^^^^^^^^ \t^ .^--. '^bove and 



the adult forms, both side/of fS o?Y+ \^^ juvenile than on 

 leaves are marked ^^^tl?t/•+^• ^^. T"^ '°"^^ ^^ *be juvenile 

 slight furroTs .s tl^^ ]t.vp ^^ .f'^'H ^""'^ ^''''^ li^^« (beconnng 

 on the upper surfte rndVpI''"^ T^' ^^^^^^J ^^out 3-4 

 extendinl^l of the wav u A 1*^' ^"^'^'^ ^^^"^^^'^' sometimes 

 shorter. Flower-fLTv 2^n \- l^'T'-' «°^^^"^«s very much 

 brown, thickly TpcSed^ifb*;!^^^' ' ^^- ^^ick, dull purplish- 

 distant ovate LSrshearbs 90 ^T"" ""' *^.^" ^l^itish, with 5-6 

 flattened out), tirupper of ^V^" ^°^^ '^^ H ^°- ^ro^^^ (when 

 the stem and'deeplX t 21 ^ ZlT'l'\\''f spreadin^^ from 



dull purplish broVn at he tins F? ' "^.'"l ^'^^ ^^^^^^^ o^ 

 many-flowered, with an axis T^ 91 i'T"'^'H^^^^^-lil^-*^' ^^^«^' 

 »»• long, H in. or more broS ^1 T^' ^^^"^^* ^'^'^' 1-U 

 ovate or oblLg-ovate acute or ;utbtf''' ^'"^^"^"•>' ^^^"" ' 

 dull purplish-brown aid dotted w?h^ 1 ' F' ^"' '''^''''^ ^^'^^b 

 upper with 2 flowers in each axTl ?7 ''' ^^' ^'''''' ^"^^l^ 4, the 



eacn axil. Hoivers erect or ascendin-; 



