PLATE 203. 



CAEISSA ACUMINATA A. DC. (Prod. viii. 335). 

 Natural Order, APOCYNACEJ:. 



A much branched thorny shrub with milky juice. Twigs green, very finely pubes- 

 cent, terete, spines chiefly in opposite pairs at forking of twigs, occasionally terminal 

 or opposite the leaves, stout, simple or more usually once or twice forked, \ to 1^ 

 inch long, the forks up to f inch long, with 2 sharp spreading spines, which are 2 

 to 4 lines long and dark coloured at apex. Leaves opposite, petiolate, exstipulate, 

 ovate-oblong to ovate, mucronate at apex, more or less obtuse at base, margin 

 undulate, quite entire and a little recurved, coriaceous, glabrous, very dark green 

 above, much lighter in colour beneath, veins pinnate; 1^ to 3 inches long, 1 to If 

 inch wide. Petioles curved, channelled above, puberulous, 2 to 3 lines long. 

 Inflorescence in axillary cymes or the cymes terminal on short twigs; peduncles 2 

 to 8 flowered, often trichotoraous, I line long, pedicels 1 line long. Flowers white, 

 sweetly scented. Calyx deeply 5 parted, lobes erect, acuminate, finely hispid, 

 pink, the whole calyx 1 line long. Corolla salver shaped, 5 lobed, tube terete, 

 widening a little to throat, glabrous externally, internally sparsely pilose, densely 

 so at throat ; 3 lines long, lobes acuminate, 2 lines long. Stamens 5, subsessile on 

 corolla tube half way down, included. Anthers linear-lanceolate, almost cuspidate, 

 2-celled, introrse. Style half as long as corolla tube, thickened below apex, then 

 tapering, and 2-fid, pilose with minute white hairs. Ovary superior, 2-celled, 

 cells 1-ovuled, one cell often abortive. Fruit a berry, ovatf* or obovate, 1-2 seeded, 

 6 to 7 lines long, 1 to 4 lines wide, scarlet when ripe. 



Habitat : NATAL : In low woods by the sea side near Durban. August, 

 Wood 7636. 



Drawn and described from Wood's specimen. 



A low rambling shrub attaining' about 10 feet in height, the whole plant has 

 a milky juice, the fruit is eaten by natives and children, and is sometimes used for 

 preserving, but it is too small to be of much practical use, especially when that of 

 C. grandiflora is so plentiful. It is a pretty shrub and not unworthy of cultivation. 

 The native name is um-Vusamkunzi. 



Fig. 1, flower; 2, section of same; 3, calyx and pistil, corolla and portion of 

 calyx removed ; 4, stamen ; 5, section of ovary ; alt enlarged. 



