14 



PIATE 262 



LASIOSIPHON MACROPETALGS, Meisn. (D.C. Prod. XIV. 594.) 

 Natural Order, THYM'ELI^E. 



A much branched undershrub with yellow flowers, reaching to 5 feet or 

 more in height. Stem and branches terete, bark brown, shining, younger portions 

 tomentose, older subglabrous. Leaves alternate, petiolate, exstipulate, obovate to 

 oblanceolate, entire, acute at apex, tapering gradually to petiole at base ; pilose 

 with white hairs on both surfaces; 5 to 9 lines long, 1^ to 3 lines wide ; petiole 

 compressed, ^ to 1 line long. Inflorescence in terminal many flowered heads, each 

 surrounded by an involucre of several leaf-like bracts in one or two rows, the 

 flowers seated on a thickened villous receptacle, the outer ones opening first. 

 Perianth salver shaped, tube cylindrical, swollen at apex, jointed and at length 

 deciduous above the ovary, pubescent, 4 to 6 lines long ; limb 5-parted, the lobes 

 oblong, entire, 1 to 1^ line long ; scales petaloid, exserted, half as long as the 

 lobes, ovate, with a projecting point at apex, and a distinct midline on the face. 

 Stamens 10, in two rows, the upper row exserted, the lower row included in upper 

 portion of the tube, all subsessile. Ovary sessile, enclosed in base of perianth tube, 

 hairy at apex. Style shorter than perianth tube, filiform ; stigma truncate. Nut 

 enclosed in persistent base of the perianth tube ; 1 -seeded. 



Habitat: NATAL: Inanda; 1,800 feet alt., Wood No. 36; near Durban, 100 

 feet alt, Wood No. 8280. 



This is the tallest species of the genus that we have in Natal, it is much 

 branched, and the flower heads are small. The bark is tough and is used by the 

 natives instead of string. 



Fig. 1, flower; 2, perianth opened; 3, t) vary style and stigma; all enlarged. 



