34 

 base to a wm-ed petiole, quite glabrous and shining on both surfaces and with 



shfped, tube cylindrical; l*-8 inches long, a little widening at throat lobes 

 varying in number, usually 8, but sometimes 9, or 10, ovate, overlapping to the 

 left! Stamens 8-10 inserted at throat of corolla, sessile ; anthers linear, { lines 

 long, the upper half exserted. Ovary inferior, style cylindrical, stigma obtusely 

 5 lobed, closing the throat of corolla. Fruit a greyish white, ovate, indehiscent, 

 minutely pitted, woody berry, 2^-4 inches long, lf-2 inches wide imperfectly 

 5 celled, many seeded, seeds compressed, ovate to oblong, 3 lines long, 2 lines wide, 

 imbedded in dryish pulp. 



Habitat : NATAL : Coast districts. 



Drawn and described from specimens gathered on Berea, February, 1 898. 



A small tree, said by Mr. Fourcade to reach 20 feet in height, but we have 

 never found it more than stated in the description. The wood is " hard, strong 

 and touo-h, used for making tools, clubs, kerries, yokes, axles, felloes, ploughs, etc., 

 and also" fit to engrave upon." The flowers are large, handsome, and powerfully 

 scented, remaining open the whole day, and the attachment of the 1 spathulate calyx 

 lobes is worthy of notice. The fruit remains upon the plant a year or more 

 before becoming fully ripe. The tree is known to the natives as um-Valasangwaan, 

 its ples having been used to close the entrance of their cattle kraals. It is also 

 a native of Mozambique, Central Africa , Nile land, and Upper and Lower Guinea. 



Fig. 1, Twig with leaves, flower and fruit, slightly reduced; 2, Calyx, style 

 and stigma; 3, Throat of corolla, showing attachment of stamens; 4, Stigma, 

 upper surface ; 5, Section of ovary. 



PLATE 41. 



ALOE COOPERI, Baker. 

 Natural Order LILIACKJE. 



A short stemmed plant, sometimes solitary, but more commonly two or more 

 stems in a clump. Leaves on each stem 8-1 5, distichous, much dilated at base, 

 and gradually tapering to apex, which is usually more or less withered ; deeply 

 channelled, thickly spotted for one third of its length from base, with linear-oblong 

 white markings, which are acute at each end; dull green, obscurely striped, 

 margin narrow, horny, with small deltoid, or curved teeth, which reach f of the 

 way from base and become gradually smaller upwards, the upper being without 

 teeth ; 1 foot to 3 feet 6 inches long, 1-2^ inches wide at base. Peduncles simple, 

 terete, 1-2^ feet long, with 15-20 ovate-cuspidate, empty bracts, which reach half 

 way down the peduncle, and at least when young are closely acinate to it. Flowers 

 numerous, in a dense corymbose raceme ; lower pedicels 1-2 inches long, fertile 

 .bracts oblong-lanceolate, almost completely clasping the peduncle, 5-10 veined, 

 green, f-1 inch long. Perianth cylindrical, i~l inches long, reddish yellow, and 

 a little swollen at base, green in upper portion, tube very short, segments linear- 

 oblong, a little tapering to apex, obtuse, several veined, concave. Stamens 6, 



