11 



PLATE 234. 



CROTALARIA GLOBIFERA, E.M. (Fl. Cap. Vol. 2, p. 44). 

 Natural Order, 



An erect, branching plant, having many stems from a thick woody root. 

 Stems and branches angular, more or less canescent with minute whitish adpressed 

 hairs. Leaves digitately 3-foliate, cuneate oblong, terminal one largest; quite 

 entire, glabrescent above, pubescent with fine white silky hairs beneath, young 

 ones silvery pubescent ; terminal leaflets ^-1^ inch long, 1| 4 lines broad, lateral 

 ones 5-9 lines long, 1^3 lines broad ; common petiole reaching to 1 inch long ; 

 petiolules ^-1 line long. Stipules filiform, minute, deciduous. Inflorescence ter- 

 minal, racemose ; racemes many flowered, flowers yellow. Calyx gamosepalous, 

 pubescent, tube campanulate ; limb bi-labiate, upper lip 2-cleft, lower 3-cleft, lobes 

 lanceolate ; bracts 2, filiform. Corolla papilionaceous ; vexillum large, erect or 

 reflexed, cordate, emarginate, having two rounded pubescent ridges above the 

 claw ; alae oblong, clawed, the claw twisted, the lamina honeycombed on one side 

 above the claw; carina rostrate. Stamens 10, monadelphous, unequal, the 5 

 longer ones with ovate anthers, 5 shorter with linear-oblong anthers. Ovary 4- 

 ovuled ; style strongly knee-bent, laterally pubescent ; stigma hispid, subcapitate. 

 Legume shortly stipitate, turgid, ovoid or obliquely so, appressedly pubescent, 

 crowned with remains of the style 2-4 seeded. 



Habitat: NATAL: Coast to Midlands. Groeriberg, 1,800 feet alt., December, 

 Wood No. 401 ; Near Gillitt's 2,000 feet alt., August, Wood No. 7949. 



Drawn and described from Wood's No. 7949. 



A very common plant from the Coast to the midlands, and perhaps to the 

 upper districts also, bearing a profusion of yellow flowers in the early spring and 

 summer. It has no economic value so far as known to us, nor can we learn that 

 the natives have any distinctive name for it. 



Fig. 1, a flower ; 2, calyx opened; 3, vexillum ; 4, ala; 5, carina; 6, stamens; 

 7, ovary, style and stigma ; all enlarged. 



