27 



PLATE 275. 



SERICOCOMA CHRYSURUS, Meisn. (in Hook. Lond. Jour. Bot. II (1843) 547 (err 



typ. 447). 

 Nataral Order, AMARANTACE^E. 



A perennial herb with one or several stems from a woody root. Stems erect, 

 usually simple, striate, minutely puberulous. Leaves mostly opposite, exstipulate, 

 lanceolate, entire, acute at apex, tapering gradually to a very short petiole, 

 margins entire, quite glabrous, 1 to 3 inches long including petiole, to | inch 

 wide. Inflorescence in terminal cylindrical spikes, with occasionally 1 or 2 smaller 

 spreading spikes at base. Flowers 2-3 together, forming a dense cylindrical spike 

 from 1 fo 6 inches long. Perianth 5-parted, lobes equal, lanceolate, obtuse, 

 scarious, with a very prominent midrib reaching to apex of lobe, and two smaller 

 and shorter lateral ones; 4-lines long. Bracts 2, ovate to ovato-lanceolate, 

 villous with long moniliform white hairs on outer surface. Stamens 5, connate in 

 a cup at base, opposite perianth lobes, and alternating with 5 scale like, truncate 

 staminodes ; shorter than perianth ; anthers oblong, 2-celled, filaments pink. 

 Ovary 1-celled, 1-ovuled, villous ; style filiform, equalling the stamens ; stigma 

 capitate. 



Habitat : NATAL : Coast and midlands. Groenberg, 2,000 feet alt, April, Wood 

 No. 67 ; Mount Moreland, 500 feet alt, September, Wood No. 8323 ; not uncom- 

 mon near Durban. 



This genus contains 11 species all natives of Tropical and South Africa, of 

 which two are found in Natal, the one here described and 5. augustifolia, Hook, 

 which has been collected in the upper districts. N. chrysurus is a weed growing 

 in open grassy ground has no useful properties, and is not nsed in any way by 

 the natives as far as we are aware. 



Fig. 1, flower; 2, lobe of perianth; 3, stamens and staminodes ; 4, ovary, 

 style and stigma ; 5, bract ; 6, moniliform hair ; all enlarged. 



