71 



the coast and midland districts. In Harvey's Genera of South African Plants " 

 the ovary is said to be 1-celled and 1-ovuled, but in all the specimens we have 

 examined it is as stated in the text, but one ovule is frequently, perhaps always 

 abortive. We do not know of any use to which the plant is put, nor do the natives 

 use it in any way so far as known to us. 



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

 seen from above ; 4, Section of flower ; 5, Ovary, style and stigma ; 6 Stamen all 

 enlarged. 



Note. In the drawing the flowers are shown rather shorter than usual, the 

 plant from which it was made having been a dwarf variety. 



PLATE 88. 



BEESAMA LUCENS, Syzsz. 

 Natural Order, SAPINDACE^:. 



A shrub 8 to 10 feet high. Branches terete, bearing scars of fallen leaves. 

 Bark wrinkled, light brown, becoming darker with age. Leaves alternate, exsti- 

 pulate, petiolate, 5-7 foliolate ; common petiole to base of odd leaflet 1^ to 3 inches 

 long. Leaflets ovate, ob-ovate, or oblong, usually unequal-sided at base, obtuse at 

 apex, tapering to base, glabrous and shining, coriaceous, entire ; 1^ to 3 inches 

 long, 1 to If inches wide ; petiolules of terminal leaflets ^ to f inch long, lateral 

 ones 1 line long. Inflorescence racemose, racemes longer than leaves. Calyx 

 gamosepalous, 5 cleft, lobes broadly ovate, the two anterior ones frequently joined 

 nearly to apex, pubescent; 1 to 1^ lines long. Petals 5, oblong, sub-equal, clawed, 

 finely pubescent. Disk unilateral, green, fleshy. Stamens 4, hypogynous, the' 

 two anterior ones connate for one fourth of their length, the posterior one free ; 

 filaments dilated at base. Anthers 2-celled, oval. Ovary superior, densely 

 pubescent. Style filiform, shorter than stamens. Stigma minute. Fruit a 4- 

 celled, 4-seeded capsule, one or more seeds occasionally abortive ; rugose, the 

 divisions between the cells conspicuous ; septicidal. dull green, subglobose ; inch 

 diameter. Seeds bright scarlet with fleshy yellow-green arillus. 



Habitat: NATAL : Coast to at least 2,000 feet above sea level. Wood No. 808. 

 Inanda. Near Durban, Wood No. 7392. 



Drawn and described from specimens gathered near Palmiet, March, 1899. 



This genus includes 4 species only, natives of Tropical and South Africa. The 

 present species was formerly known as Natalia lucens, Hochst, under which name 

 it appears in the Flora Capensis, Vol. 1 , page 369, the difference between the two 

 genera being the cohesion of only two of the stamens in Natalia, while in Bersama 

 all are connate. We know of no use to which the plant is applied, nor do the 

 natives appear to have a distinctive name for it as far as we can learn. 



Fig. 1, Portion of branch with leaves and flowers, natural size; 1 a, Fruit ; 2, 

 Flower, side view ; 3, Flower, front view ; 4, Section of Flower ; 5, Staminal tube 

 opened ; 6, The same showing disk ; 7, Ovary and style ; 8, Cross section of ovary ; 

 9, Anther; 10, Calyx opened; all enlarged. 



