13 



PLATE 12. 



ASTER (DIPIXJPAPPUS) ABPER, Less. 

 Natural Order COMPOSITE. 



An erect plant with white or pale blue flowers, and yellow disk. Roots 

 tuberous, the tubers fusiform, 1 inch or more long, 2 to 3 lines wide. Stems 

 erect, one or more from same root, usually simple, but occasionally branched, 

 especially in the variety " pleiocephalus," scabrous, pilose, ending in a long or 

 short 1 headed peduncle, 6 to 12 inches or more high. Leaves ovate-oblong, 

 oblong-lanceolate, or broadly linear, 3 to 5 nerved, sessile, entire, or coarsely few 

 toothed, scabrous on both surfaces, pilose and ciliate, 2 to 5 inches long. to 1 inch 

 wide. Heads about 100 flowered, JRays 15 to 25. Involucre of many acuminate, 

 flat, dorsally pubescent scales, with soariotis margins. R&y florets : female 1 seriate, 

 corolla ligulate ; disk florets perfect, tubular, 5 lobed. Anthers without tails. 

 Style arms lanceolate, pubescent. Pappus of many unequal serrate bristles. 

 Achenes pubescent. 



Habitat: NATAL: Common in open ground. 



A well known plant found all over the Colony, from the Drakensberg to the sea 

 level. The flowers vary in colour from white to sometimes deep blue, the stems 

 are usually one headed, but in the variety " pleiocephalus " found in the Midlands, 

 they are much branched, each peduncle bearing a single head. It is known to 

 the na f ives as " um-Hlungwaan " and the tuberous roots are used as a remedy for 

 snake bites ; they have also been used for this purpose by colonists, when dogs 

 have been bitten, and it id said with very good effect, 



Drawn and described from specimens in the Government Herbarium. 



Fig. 1, Stem with leaves and flowers, natural size; 2, Disk floret; 3, Ray 

 floret ; 4, Involucral bract ; 5, Pappus bristle ; 6, Stamina! tube opened ; 7, Ovary 

 Style and Stigma; 8, Style arms ; all variously enlarged. 



PLATE 13. 



.lACQUKMONTfA CAP1TATA, G. Don 



Natural Order CON VOLVU LACE*. 



A climbing plant with small blue flowers. Stems diffuse, branches terete, 

 pilose. Leaves cordate, acute, entire, herbaceous, finely pilose, variable in size 

 from f inch to 2 inches long, -^ 2 inches wide. Inflorescence in axillary and 

 terminal bructeate heads ; bracts linear, acute, much more distinctly pilose than 

 leaves ; 2--> lines long, \ line wide ; pedicels 1 line long. Calyx 5 parted nearly 

 to base ; lobes linear-lanceolate, hirsute, persistent, 2-3 linea long, 1 line wide. 

 Corolla funnel shaped, limb 5 lobed, or almost entire, 3-4- lines long. Stamens 5, 

 included, sub-equal ; filaments glabrous, dilated at base ; anthers oblong, 2 celled. 

 Ovary globose, 4 'celled, 4 ovuled ; style filiform ; stigma bilobed, lobes oval. 

 Capsule sub-globose, 4 celled, 4 seeded ; seeds trigonous. 



Habitat: NATAL: Umlaas native location, under 1000 feet altitude. /. M. 

 Wood, No. 4573. 



This is the only member of the genus oecuring in South Africa, and so far 

 has only been found in the locality above named, though further investigation will 

 doubtless discover other localities for it. The colour of the flowers is a beautiful 



