PLATE 207. 



STYLOCHITON NATALENSE (Schott., Aroideae, 10, t. 14). 

 Natural Order, ABOIDE.S:. 



Herbaceous with an apparently jointed rhizone bearing 5 to 25 or more long 

 stalked cylindrical tubers at different parts of its length, the tubers 2 to 6 inches 

 long, 3 to 4 lines diameter in centre, acute at base, tapering at apex to a stalk 

 1 to 6 inches long. Young leaves enclosed in a membranous oblong acuminate 

 bract-like leaf, which is 2-keeled at the back, spotted and veined with dull purple, 

 and which finally breaks up into fibres. Leaves 2 to 6, glabrous, dark green ; 

 petiole 3 to 9 inches long, rounded on the back, channelled or flattened on the 

 face for its whole length, and having a membranous wing on each side extending 



1 to 2 inches from base ; suffused or mottled with purple from base, the markings 

 becoming fainter upwards, the apex green without markings ; blade 3 to 6 inches 

 long, 2^ to 6^ inches broad, varying from sagittate to hastate, the basal lobes 

 oblong, obtuse, and usually rounded, more or less divergent, apex acute with a 

 subulate or filiform appendage 1 to 2^ lines long, margins entire, more or less 

 undulate, veins prominent beneath. Flowers appearing with leaves. Peduncle 



2 to 3^ inches long, 1 to 2 lines diameter, terete or subterete, glabrous, thickly 

 blotched with dark dull purple. Spathe inflated at base, and constricted 3 to 4 

 lines above base, dark green outside when young, in age dull greenish-yellow ; 

 tube 1 to If inch long, limb erect, acute or acuminate and appendiculate like the 

 leaves, 1^ to 6 inches long, 8 to 12 lines broad, cream coloured, glabrous and 

 shining within. Spadix sessile, 1 j to 1^ inch long, base of the male portion more 

 or less interrupted, but scarcely separated from the female portion by a distinct 

 naked space, female portion 4 to n lines long, of 4 to 5 crowded spirals of flowers, 

 angular from mutual pressure. Perianth, female, f to 1 line deep, cup shaped, 

 contracted at the mouth, truncate and thickened at the margin, cream coloured. 

 Ovary oblong-ovoid, 2, rarely 3 to 4 celled, with axile placentation, green. Style 

 f line long, whitish green. Perianth, male, about \ line deep, laterally compressed, 

 cream coloured. Stamens 4, filaments filiform, papillose ; anthers 2-celled, basi- 

 fixed, elliptic-oblong, minutely papillose, creamy yellow. Fruits crowded on the 

 lower part of the persistent spadix, ovate, compressed, tipped with the remains of 

 the style, usually 2-seeded, testa thin, ulaok, embryo axile. 



Habitat: NATAL: From coast to at least 2,000 feet above sea level. Atter- 

 cliffe, Sanderson 309; Wood, November, 271, Inanda; without precise locality 

 Gerrard and Gueinzius. Near Durban, October, Wood 7560. 



Drawn and described from Wood's 7560. 



This genus includes 3 species only, the other two being natives of tropical 

 Africa. Our plant is found in open ground, chiefly in the coast districts. The 

 native name is Umfana-ka-Hlanjani, and they use the roots as a remedy for 

 ear ache. 



Fig. 1, section through flower, natural size; 2, female flower; 3, male flower; 

 4, section of female flower ; 5, same of male flower ; 6, section of ovary ; 7, a tuber, 

 natural size. Except figs. 1 and 7, all enlarged. 



