19 



pubescent. Leaves alternate, petiolate, stipulate, lanceolate to ovate, acuminate, 

 entire, glabrous above, minutely downy beneath, lamina 2-3 inches long, f 1J 

 inches wide, petiole - inch long; stipules 2, minute, membranous, deciduous, 

 subulate. Inflorescence in axillary and terminal few flowered racemes, which are 

 1^-2 inches long, pedicels 3-4 lines long, with 2 bracteoles at base of each flower, 

 bracteoles minut.e, linear. Calyx bilabiate, lobes at first reflexed or intruse, of 

 thin texture, upper ones 2 dentate, lower entire, corolla papilionaceous, standard 

 sub-orbicular, shortly clawed, emarginate. spreading ; wings oblong, clawed, widely 

 spreading; keel deflexed, concave. Stamens 10, -free, btit slightly connate at 

 extreme base, anthers small, ovate; Style falcate, acuminate. Stigma minutely 

 capitate, ovary silky. Legume compressed, sub-falcate, veiny, dark brown, 1-2 

 seeded. 



Habitat : Natal. Coast districts, reaching to at least 2000 feet altitude. 

 Described and figured from tree in flower on Berea, November, 1897. 



This plant has already been described and figured in Harvey's" Thesaurus 

 Capensis plate 20, but as we found several differences, we have been induced to 

 figure it again, especially as Harvey's description does not include the legume. It 

 is not as there stated a climber, but an erect tree, or shrub. In the plate in 

 Thes. Cap. the pedicels are represented as bracieate in the middle, but these 

 bracteoles we have not seen, a.nd in all the specimens, we have examined they are 

 certainly absent. The calyx also is described and figured as having its lower lobe 

 tridentate, but in our specimens it is quite entire in all young specimens. The 

 apparent division in the lobe being caused by splitting when af maturity. The 

 tree is a ve.ry handsome one when in flower ; the flowers are white, with an orange 

 patch at base of standard, and they are strongly violet scented, hence its popular 

 name in Natal " Violet Pea." The wood is scarcely large enough to be of much 

 use as timber, but it makes good disselbooms when of sufficient size, and the young 

 shoots, which are very supple, were in the early days of the colony used for making 

 wagon and cart tents, and for wattling, but it is very liable to .attacks of insects, 

 unless very carefully seasoned. Mr. Bazley says that it forms " the best wood in 

 Natal for hoe handles, etc , but the sticks should be cut in the winter, the bark 

 removed at once, and kept until they are seasoned, when they are found to be strong 

 and lasting." It was formerly known as Braeteolaria racemosa, but the genus 

 Bracteoiaria h?<3 now been united with Baphia. The native name is isi-l^iti. 



Fig 1 , Twigs with Flowers and legumes, about natural size ; 2, Petals, a standard 

 b.b. wings, c. keel ; 3, Flower with petals removed ; 4, Ovary; 5 Stamens, all 

 variously enlarged. 



PLATE 20. 



HKKMANMA SANPBRSONI. Harv. 

 Natural Order STERCULIACEAE. 



A. many stemmed herbaceous perennial. Root woody. Stems simple or sub- 

 simple, erect; densely clothed with stellate hairs. Leaves few, alternate, stipulate, 

 shortly petiolate, or sub-sessile, elliptical, ovate or sub-rotund, crenato-dontate, 

 veins very prominent beneath, stellato-hispid on upper surface, lighter coloured 

 and densely toraentose beneath, with stellate hairs; -2 inches long, 5 lines to 1 <] 

 inches wide; Stipules ovate, or ovate lanceolate, acuminate, stellato-hispid, 2-4 

 lines long. Peduncles axillary and terminal, 2-3 lines long, usually 2, but some- 

 times 3 flowei'ed, pedicels 3-0* lines long, bracteate at base, densely .stellato-hispid, 



