15 



higher altitudes. We have known it to fruit abundantly under cultivation at 2000 

 feet above sea level, and have seen plants which have stood the winter at 4000 feet. 

 It is certainly the best hedge plant in Natal, forming when regularly cut an 

 impenetrable fence. It is often increased by layers, and when propagated in this 

 way, growers should be careful to get a larger proportion of the functionally 

 female plant (i e. the one in which the style and stamens are of equal length) if 

 they wish for an abundance of f ruit, though of course there must be a proportion 

 of the other form of flower. Though this fruit when fully ripe is delicious and 

 very valuable, the Order Apocynaceae is a doubtful one, containine a number of 

 "very poisonous plants, amongst them is Cerbera Tanghin, the " Ordeal tree " of 

 Madagascar, and Strophanthus Kombe, which is supposed to have entered into 

 the composition of the Bushman's arrow poison, and the seeds of which are now 

 used medicinally at Home. Native name " Amatungulu." 



Fig. 1, Twigs with leaves, flower and fruit ; 2, Corolla, front view; 3, Section 

 of corolla, short style form; 8a, Same, Ions; style form; 4, Section of base of corolla 

 showing stamens; 5, Calyx and stvle; 6, Calyx, opened out; 7, Stamen ; all about 

 natural size. 



PLATE 15. 



SIMPLEX, Thunberg. 

 Natural Order CONVOLVOLACE^:. 



Tuber globose or sub-globose, f to 1^ inches diameter, brown, rooting at base 

 and sides. Stem simple, solitary, rooting at base, 1 to 4 inches high from tuber to 

 lowest leaf, lower portion rough and wrinkled near base, terete above, striate, 

 glabrous. Leaves alternate, linear or linear oblong, tapering at base to a short 

 winged, concave petiole, edge coarsely and distantly toothed, or sub-entire, veins 

 and veinlets conspicuous on both sides, glabrous, 1 to 2|- inches long including the 

 short petiole. Flowers solitary in axils, bracteate, bracts 2, linear, sometimes 

 reaching half way along the calyx lobes, but usually shorter. Calyx 5 parted to 

 base, lobes lanceolate, acuminate, strongly nerved, membranous edged, minutely 

 glandular, in aestivation 3 outer, 2 injier ; 6 to 8 lines long. Corolla gamopetalous, 

 5 fid. Campanulate, Stamens 5, inserted at base of Corolla tube ; filaments filiform 

 half as long as corolla; anthers 2 celled, versatile. Style filiform, Stigma 

 bi-globose. Ovary superior. 



Habitat. NATAL: Inanda, 1800 feet altitude, November, /. M. Wood, No. 411 

 Clairmont, 20 feet altitude, October, J. M. Wood, No. 6133. 



A low solitary perennial tuber bearing plant, with white flowers ; the tubers 

 are eaten by native and Indian boys, which perhaps in some measure accounts for 

 the rarity of the plant, as on sending to the place a few days after the specimens 

 had been collected, for the purpose of obtaining seed vessels, the messenger found 

 that the tubers had been all dug out, presumably by Indian boys. The natives 

 know it as ama-Gonzi. 



Drawn and described from J. M. Wood's, No. 6133. 



Fig. 1, Plant, natural size; 2, Corolla, laid open; 3, a stamen; 4, Ovary, 

 style and stigma, 



