53 



woody rootstock, the upper portion of which is woolly with matted hairs. Leaves 

 several on each crown, rosulate, erect, coriaceous, oblong-lanceolate, or lanceolate, 

 acute or obtuse, entire, or with 2-4 acute, or sometimes obtuse lobes on each side 

 of uppermost portion of leaf ; much attenuated to base, axils woolly, midrib broad 

 and prominent, veinlets obscure ; light green and glaucous, reddish purple at base, 

 and in midrib a little upwards from the base ; 4-6 inches or more long, l-2 inches 

 wide. Peduncle scape-like, terete, finely striate, glaucous like the leaves, nude 

 except for one or two small bract-like leaves at base of inflorescence, and smaller 

 ones on pedicels, occasionally branched, each branch bearing 1-3 flower heads, 6-15 

 inches long; pedicels terete, 1-2 inches long. Heads radiate, 1^-2 inches in 

 diameter, yellow, involucral scales 8-10, oblong-lanceolate, uniseriate, concrete at 

 base, free above, valvate ; ray florets 8, in one row, broadly ligulate, female ; 3-4- 

 toothed at apex, pappus copious, bristle shaped, fulvous, in many rows, disk florets 

 numerous, slender, tubular, their corollas 5 toothed, their styles simple, tipped with 

 a hispid cone ; pappus serrate, uniseriate, white. Achenes oval, pubescent. 



Habitat : NATAL : In open ground all over the Colony, also in Kaffraria. 

 Drawn and described from specimens gathered at Clairmont, September, 1898. 



In the coast districts this is one of the earliest flowers to make its appearance 

 in the spring, and it is often found in flower until late in the summer. Its large 

 yellow flower heads are very conspicuous, and the whole plant resembles Senecio 

 coronatus, B.C., but its crown is less woolly, stem leaves are almost or quite absent, 

 and involucre in one, not several rows. 



Mr. Nicholson of Beaulieu informs us that the leaves are eaten by stock, and 

 are also given to calves to make them fat, they are eaten also by the natives when 

 food is scarce, and he thinks that if cultivated they would make a good salad or 

 vegetable, but this is not confirmed by our experience. 



Fig. 1, Plant about natural size; 2, Ray floret; 3, Style of ray floret; 4, Disk 

 floret ; 5, Style of disk floret ; 6, Pappus bristle ; 7, Achene ; all enlarged. 



PLATE 65. 



ANDKOCYMBIUM NATALENSE, Baker. 

 Natural Order, LILIACEAB. 



A small herb. Corn small, globose; underground neck 2-3 inches long, 1-1^ 

 lines diameter, with a membranous sheath. Stem none. Leaves 2-3, lanceolate 

 from a broad equitant base, distichous, 2 inches to 1 foot long, glabrous and 

 shining, mucronate, margin entire, hyaline, midvein distinct, lateral veinlets 

 obscure. Heads few flowered, pedicels short; bracts 1-2, similar to the leaves in 

 shape, but much shorter, and very pale green, the veins and veinlets light purple 

 beneath, visible above. Perianth 6 parted, f inch long, lamina as long as claw, 

 each lobe enclosing a stamen, the slender claw forming a distinct tube, then suddenly 

 dilated, and widening to a recurved lamina which is pinky white, with lavender 

 coloured veins, which are deeper in colour towards the obtuse apex. Stamens 6, 

 inserted at the apex of the claw of the perianth segments, filaments subulate, 

 anthers oblong, 2 celled. Ovary 3 celled, elongated, 3 lobed, lobes rounded, cells 

 many seeded, seeds superposed, styles 3, subulate, stigmas minute. 



Habitat : NATAL : Inanda, Wood No. 200 ; Tongaat Miss Rich (Wood, No. 5764) 

 July. 



