61 



bilis are found in Natal. The plant here described is a handsome shrub, bearing 

 its pure white flowers in great profusion, and is well worthy of more extended 

 cultivation. The bark is considered to be more or less poisonous, and the bark of 

 A venenata was used in the early days of the Colony by the Bushmen, as one of 

 the ingredients of their arrow poison. 



Fig. 1, Branch with leaves, flowers and fruit, natural size; 2. Calyx lobe ; 3, 

 Corolla in bud showing asstivation ; 4, Section of corolla, two lobes and two 

 stamens removed ; 5, Stamen front view ; 6, Stamen back view ; 7, Ovary, style 

 and stigma; 8, Cross section of ovary; all enlarged. 



PLATE 75. 



MOEAIA GLAUCA, Wood & Evans. 

 Natural Order, IRIDE.E. 



Corm globose, f-1 inch diameter, usually with several younger and smaller 

 ones clustered round it. Tunics papery, acuminate, with prominent longitudinal 

 veins, and very oblique veinlets ; lamina straw coloured, veins and veinlets dark 

 red brown. Stem short, including numerous small bulbils at base, 1-2 at each 

 node. Leaves, basal one sometimes 6 feet long, f inch wide at base, gradually 

 narrowing to apex, often, perhaps always flaccid in upper portion, glabrous, sub- 

 glaucous. Spathe valves 3-5 inches long, cylindrical, 2, or several flowered, 

 interior one largest, exterior one connate in a tube at base for more than half its 

 length, long acuminate, green with withered tips. Perianth segments spreading, 

 oblong, exterior ones mucronate at apex, interior similar but narrower, obtuse, all 

 1 to 1^ inches long, \ inch wide ; yellow with brown spots at base of each lobe, 

 midvein conspicuous. Stamens 3, exserted, connate for two thirds of their 

 length. Anthers sagittate, linear-oblong, extrorse, connective produced beyond 

 the cells, pollen yellow. Styles spathulate, finely ciliate on upper margin, crests 

 lanceolate, with the free interior margins running into the base of the petaloid 

 style. Ovary 3 celled, obtusely 3 angled, ovules numerous, 1 to 2 seriate, super- 

 posed Capsule not seen. 



Habitat : NATAL : In swamp near Mooi River. Wood No. 403 "j. 



Drawn and described from a plant which flowered in the Botanic Garden, 

 Durban, the corms having been originally brought from Mooi River. 



This plant belongs to the Subgenus Eumoraea, and to the Section Corymbose, 

 and comes near to M. iriopetala, but differs in size and coating of the corms, 

 length of the spathe valves, which are withered at the tip, colour of flowers, and 

 shape of perianth lobes. From M. mira it differs by length oHeaf stem and 

 peduncle, colour of flower and pollen, and cutting of style crests. This is one of 

 the plants called by Dutch colonists " Tulp " or " Tulip " and which is so fre- 

 quently fatal to cattle, its leaves appear in the early spring when grass is not 

 plentiful, and cattle, especially perhaps those from a district where the plant is 

 net found, eat it often with fatal results, whole spans of oxen having been said to 

 have been killed by it. Probably several species of Mor*a have the same pro- 

 perties and are included in the generic name, " Tulp." Flowers in October and 

 November. 



Fig 1 Stem, portion of leaf, and flower ; 2, Lower part of stem and leaf, 

 showing bulbils natural size, 3, Flower ; 4, Stamen; 5, Styles and stigmas ; 6, 

 Cross section of ovary ; all enlarged. 



