430 G. Shendil, N.E.Br., in The hardeners' ^hronicle, 1922, vol. 

 LXXI, p. 129, fig. 64. 15, E., and vol. I^OCIX, p. 235.— I am now 

 aMe to add a description of the flowers of this species made 

 from dried flowers sent to me by Dp. i^iuir* — Pedicel 7-8 lines long 

 and together v;ith the calyx minutely nuberulous like the growths. 

 Cal^'x subeoually 6-lobed; lobes about 2 lines long, tv.-o of them 

 keeled, the others flatter, oblong, obtuse, v/ith narrow, membranous 

 margins. Corolla 9-11 lines in diameter; petals in one series, 

 about 3^-4 lines long and 1/3 line broad, linear, apparently acute, 

 "deep Dink, with e darker median line from base to apex", ex i^-uir. 

 Stamens numerous, collected into a cone 1^ line long; filaments not 

 hairy at the base^ "of the faintest flesh colour; antheres yellow." 

 Stigmas 6, about t line long, shortly subulate, acute, greenish, 

 connivent in the flov;er seen, but perhaps spreading in older flovi/- 

 ers. Top of the ovary flattish, 



Ladismith and Swellendem divisions- ^n the Klein Karoo, i>^uir, 

 3815. 



Dr. Muir informs me that in nature this is a smaller species 

 than G, pubescens, that it "does not glitter in the sun and occurs 

 it in ouite different localities usually." "G. pubescens is a 

 larger, finer shrub, glittering silvery and alvjays on the quartz 

 field, G. Shandii is much smaller, drab and somewhat dirty-looking, 

 and prefers the stony broken Bokkeveld shale areas, v;hich are mostly 

 dark brown. G. pubescens has as a background the white quartz 

 fields v;hich make the eyes ache. G, ^handii a dark ugly, stony 

 background. You can dist"nguish them in a fast travelling motor 

 without getting down." Since these two plants are so easily seen, 

 as they form "little, mound-like clumps dotted over the country," 

 their colour resemblance to their surroundings cannot be in any 

 vrey protective, therefore ther must be some other explanation of it 

 than the one of "protective resemblance," which is usually applied 

 to such resemblances. Can it be that there is some unknovTi phy- 

 sical action brought to beer unon the plants by the reflection of 

 light from their surroundings that causes them to be somewhat sim- 

 ilarly coloured? The colouration of G. ^handii and G. pubescens in 

 my greenhouse is hardly distinguishable and much greener than in 

 nature, 



N, E, Brown 

 (To be continued,) 



l^SSMBRYANTHEi^vi. 

 Gard. Ghron. HI. 82: 92. 1927, 

 {Gntinued from page 430, "Vol. L^^XiCI.) 



RHniEPHYLLX3M^ N, E, Br, 



92 Stemless, perennial, succulents; ni^t-f lowering. Leaves 



opposite, in 1-2 pairs to a growth under natural conditions, but in 

 several pairs to a '^rowth under cultivation, thickened upv/ards or 

 clavate, obtuse, flat on the face, rounded or keeled on the back, 

 rough from being covered at the upper part with small, hard, white 

 pimples. Flowers solitary, terminal, pedicellate, bractless. Galyx 

 subeoually 5-lobed nearly down to its union v/ith the ovary, with 

 the basal part hemispherical. Corolla closed during the day, ex- 

 panding in the evening or pt night, fragrant; ^petals in one series, 

 free, scarcely longer than the calyx-lobes. Stamens numerous, 

 erect from an incurved base, and numerous, erect from an incurved 



