22 



PLATE 270. 



LASIOSIPHON ANTHYLLOIDES, Meisn. (in DC. Prod. XIV. 595). 

 Natural Order, THYMELEACE^E. 



An vindershrub with lemon yellow flowers. Stems erect, much branched from 

 the base, branches virgate, terete, bark light brown, scarred in lower portion by 

 base of fallen leaves, glabrous ; upper leafy portion pilose with long white hairs, 

 densely so near apex. Leaves alternate, exstipulate, very shortly petiolate, linear- 

 oblong to elliptical, the upper ones below the flower heads much the largest ; quite 

 entire, acute at apex, rounded at base, pilose beneath, and ciliate with long white 

 hairs, the young ones densely so; ^ to 1J inch long, 2 to 5 lines wide; petioles 

 | to i line long, thickened. Inflorescence in terminal many flowered bracteate 

 heads. Bracts 10 to 15 or more, gradually passing into the true leaves; lanceolate; 

 8 to 12 lines long, 2 to 4 lines wide. Receptacle flat, honeycombed. Disk annular. 

 Perianth tubular, pilose externally, circumscissile above the base, the lower portion 

 enclosing the ovary and eventually hardening round it; upper and deciduous 

 portion cylindrical, widening a little below throat ; limb 5-lobed, lobes oblong, 

 spreading or a little recurved. Scales 5, alternate with lobes, very minute or 

 occasionally absent. Stamens 10, in two rows, inserted a littk below throat ; 

 upper row a little exserted, lower included ; filaments very short ; anthers lan- 

 ceolate, 2-celled. Ovary enclosed in the persistent base of perianth tube, sessile, 

 1-celled, 1 -seeded, pilose in upper portion; style lateral, filiform; style capitate 

 bristly, included or exserted. Seeds 2-| lines long, testa crustaceous. 



Habitat : NATAL : Coast districts, probably extending to 2,000 feet or more 

 above sea-level. Near Durban, 100 feet alt, September, Wood No. 8321. 



This is the third species of this genus figured in the present volume, the 

 others being L. Kmussii (Plate 256) and L. mocropetalus (Plate 262). It is 

 rather a showy plant when in flower, and is known to the native as " Indolo," but 

 I cannot learn that they make any use of it. The flowers are fragrant especially 

 in the evening. According to Dr. Andrew Smith, M.A., the dried root of this 

 species is used medicinally by the natives in Cape Colony, and also as a remedy 

 for snake bite, he also says : 



" If a small fragment is chewed, it is nearly tasteless at first, but its burning 

 quality is presently developed. Great caution must be used as to the quantity 

 administered. It becomes a question whether the roots of the Lasiosiphons might 

 not be employed with advantage in minute doses as a substitute for arsenic 

 (Fowler's solution), or to make a lotion for the throat in place of a solution of 

 lunar caustic. They would be much safer than either. 



Fig. 1, flower; 2, upper part of corolla tube and portion of lobes, showing 

 the stamens and scales ; 3, ovary, style and stigma ; all enlarged. 



