PLATE 255 



PHAYLOPSIS PARVIFLORA, Willd. (Fl. Cap. Vol. V. p. 20). 

 Natural Order, ACANTHACE^E. 



A herbaceous plant with white flowers. Stems branching, elongate, some- 

 times reaching 4 to 5 feet in length and often rooting at the nodes in lower portion ; 

 terete or subquadrangular, hispid, swollen above the nodes. Leaves opposite,, 

 petiolate, ovato-oblong, entire, acuminate to an obtuse apex, tapering and unequal 

 sided at base, pubescent on both surfaces, the hairs on the upper surface springing 

 from a cellular swollen base, veins conspicuous on both sides ; 2-^ to 4J inches long, 

 1 to 2^ inches wide. Petiole flattened above, pubescent, 1 to 2-^ inches long. In- 

 florescence in axillary and terminal one sided bracteate spikes which are subtended 

 by a number of bract-like depauperated leaves of varying size, the flowers being 

 turned away from the axis. Bracts orbicular-cordate, veiny, pubescent with glan- 

 dular hairs, ciliate, stalked, each bract enclosing several flowers, bracteoles none. 

 Calyx 5-parted to base, the upper lobe large, bract-like, veiny, dull red at base, the 

 others linear-lanceolate ; all glandular, pilose and ciliate. Corolla gamopetalous, 2- 

 lipped, upper lip 2-fid, lower 3-fid, lobes obtuse, tube subcompressed, curved, 

 a little widening to throat ; 6 lines long. Stamens 4, sub-didynamous, inserted on 

 corolla tube near base, included ; anthers oblong, 2-celled, cells parallel. Ovary 

 seated on a flesh disk, with glandular hairs at apex ; style minutely hairy, 2-lobed, 

 one lobe much longer than the other. Capsule obovate, tapering to base and 

 crowned with remains of the style, glandular hairy near apex, otherwise glabrous ; 

 2-celled, 4-seeded, the lower seed in each cell abortive. Seeds compressed, silky. 



Habitat : NATAL : Coast districts, and reaching to at least 2,000 feet above sea 

 level, usually at edges of woods. Inanda, 1,800 feet alt, July, Wood No. 152 ; near 

 Durban, 150 feet alt, June, Wood No. 4878. 



Drawn and described from specimens gathered near Durban, June, 1901. 



This genus according to the Index Kewensis includes six species, four of which 

 are found in Tropical Africa, and two in Madagascar only ; of the four Tropical 

 African species, one is found also in India, and the species above described in addi- 

 tion to Natal is found in Arabia. 



Fig. 1, flower, front view ; 2, same, back view ; 3, calyx ; 4, corolla, showing 

 attachment of stamens ; 5, ovary style and stigma ; 6, capsule ; 7, valve of capsule 

 showing attachment of ovule ; all enlarged. 



