38 



Habitat: NATAL: Coast districts. 



Drawn and described from specimens gathered on Berea, December 1897. 



This is a small shrub sometimes reaching 10 feet in height; the flowers are 

 numerous and yellow, and are sometimes remarkable by the manner m which the 

 corolla lobe* are reflexed as shown in the drawing. The berry is globose, 1-2 

 inches in diameter, and is eaten by the natives, who appear only to know it as the 

 bush um-Vilo, um-Vilo being the name of 'Fangueria infausta, known to colonists 

 as the ' Wild Medlar." The genus Vangueria has in Natal 7 or repre- 

 sentatives, two of which are small plants not reaching more than 4-5 inches in 

 height, but bearing a berry fully as large as the one here described ; these two 

 plants are both recent discoveries, and neither of them appear m the Flora 

 Capensis. None of these species have any commercial value, but the fruits of 

 several, if 'not all of them, are eaten, and might probably be improved by cultivation. 



Fig. 1, Twig with leaves and flowers, natural size; 2, Flower; 3, Flower, 

 corolla removed, showing style and stigma ; ! , Corolla opened ; 5, Section of 

 ovary ; all enlarged. 



PLATE 47. 



ZlZYPHUS MCCRONATA, Willd. 



Natural Order RHAMNAE. 



A tree, 20-30 feet high. Trunk 12-18 inches in diameter, bark reddish 

 brown, thin, twigs brown, frequently rough with lenticels, young ones green, also 

 lenticular, and sometimes finely pubescent, prickles single or in pairs, and recurved, 

 often present on the young twigs. Leaves alternate, petiolate, stipulate, ovate, 

 tapering to apex, unequal and 3 veined at base, obtuse, mucronulate, finely crenate, 

 glabrous, ' 1-J--3-J inches long, 1-2^ inches wide, petiole ^-f inch long, stipules 

 minute, subulate, dark brown, deciduous. Inflorescence in axillary many flowered 

 cymes, equalling the petiole. Calyx 5 lobed, lobes acute, reflexed. Disk fleshy, 

 closing mouth of calyx tube, obtusely 5 angled, pitted. Corolla of 5, small, con- 

 cave, sub*rotund, clawed petals, inserted- on throat of calyx at angles of disk, and 

 reflexed. Stamens 5, opposite to the petals, and lying within their concave blade. 

 Ovary sunk.in the disk. Styles 2, short, divergent. Drupe globose, red brown 

 and shining, 2 seeded. 



Habitat : NATAI. : Coast and Midlands, common. 



Drawn and described from specimens gathered on Berea, December 1897. 



A small tree known to the natives as um-Pafa, the wood is used in wagon 

 work, and. the root is glutinous, and according to Dr. Smith, "a decoction of it is 

 used internally for all scrofulous diseases, and for swollen glands of the neck. 

 A paste of the leaves is also applied to glandular swellings." We cannot learn 

 that any part of the tree is used medicinally by Natal colonists. 



Fig. 1 ,^ Twig with leaves and flowers, reduced in size ; 2, Flower seen from 

 above: 3, Section of flower; 4, Calyx seen from beneath; all variously enlarged. 



