229 5. P. Hoodlae, K. E. Br. (JFig. lio).-- Plent stemless, form- 

 ing clumns l*-2 inches high. Each grov/th with two unequal or sub- 

 enual leaves united for 6-9 lines at their base, the free part 

 usually, but not always, longer than broad, l-£i inches long, 8-14 

 lines bro?=)d and 6-10 lines thick, ascending-spreading, deltoid or 

 deltoid-oblong in outline viewed from above, flat on the upper side, 

 rounded or obiinuely and ver;''- obtusely keeled on the back, very 

 obtuse at the anex, entire, dull greyish-green or brovmish in 

 nature, becoming greener under cultivation, thickly covered v/ith 

 slightly nrominent dots that are not much darker in colour and 

 therefore rot so ve-ry conspicuous, ^lowers not seen, but from 

 the photograph reproduced in Fig. 110, solitary and terminal, 

 sessile (iDut the fruit has a stalk about an inch long) bracteee. 

 Corolla about 2 inches in diameter, expanding, according to -^^r. 

 Leslie, at 11,:^0 a.m. and closing about 5,30 p.m.; petals in 1-2 

 series, lax, recurved-sr^reading, 9-12 lines long, about i- line 

 broad, cuneatel.y linear, obtuse or toothed et the apex, yellov;. 

 Stamens numerous, erect, apparently loose and arranged somewhat in 

 a ring. Stigmas not seen. Capsule 4-5 lines in diameter when 

 closed, shortly obconic , flattened et the top, r^rey, 7-8 lines in 

 diameter v;hen expanded, with 9-10 valves end cells; valves spread- 

 ing or recurved; expanding-keels closely parallel or contiguous 

 at the basal part, then diverging and ending in fine av.'n-like points 

 a little shorter than the valves and v/ith membranous marginal wings 

 up to the base of the awns, the whole interior of the capsule of 

 a light brov n colour; cells roofed wdth semi-transparent, membran- 

 ous, flexible cell-wings and with a small rudimentary hard pallid 

 tubercle at the opening; placentas on the outer wall and base of 

 the centrel axis. Seeds' about 612 in a cell, about 1/3- line long, 

 ovoid, ' ith a ninple at one enc^ , smooth, browoi. 



Van Rhynsdorp ^ivisonJ near Van %ynsdorp, ^rs, 2. Rood. 



This Plant does not quite conform to the generic characters 

 of Punctillaria , end may v;hen better knovm, prove to be a distinct 

 genus. It differs by its leaves being mostly unequal and united at 

 the base for a much greater length than they are in the other 

 species of Functlllsria , by the cell-wings of the capsule being 

 membranous end flexible instead of stiff, and by the rudimentary 

 nature of the tubercle at the mouth of the cells, tossibly the 

 stigmas may differ also, but these -^ have not seen. In other 

 general characters ^ find nothing to separate it, and therefore 

 place it under this genus for the present. 



N.B, — I would here call attention to l-iesembryanthemum 

 carinans, Hav/. , whict seems allied to the genus i'unctillaria and 

 probably does not belong to that genus. It is et present quite an 

 unknown nlpnt except from the figure of the t pe plant preserved 

 et Kew; for the species described byn Sonder and by ^erger as 

 being I"'', carinsns is not at all like the true plant, as I have 

 T)reviously stated in the Journal of the Linnean Society, vol. -^l^^ , 

 p. 66, where 1 have described Merger's plant under the name of 

 J-. ffranulfitum, N. E. Br. There are also two or three other species 

 distinct from I', ieranulatum that are named by ^outh African botan- 

 ists as b^ing M. cprinans, which are likewise quite different from 

 the true I.-, carinans. I therefore here give a description of this 

 species compiled from the drawing at ^ew and including the charac- 

 ters given by Haworth. As the flowers are unknown its true generic 

 position cannot at present be determined, but as it bears a somewhat 



