13 



PLATE 282. 



CLBEODENDEON MTEICOIDES, R. Br. (Fl. Cap. Vol. V., p. 223.) 

 Natural Order, VERBENACE.E. 



A low shrub, 3 to 6 feet in height, with slender flexuous branches, the bark 

 of the older branches somewhat angled, striate, studded with old leaf scars and 

 lenticels ; of younger ones subterete, light coloured. Leaves opposite, or in false 

 whorls, petiolate (in our specimens) ; membranous, oblong or oblong-acuminate, 

 acute at apex, gradually tapering to a petiole at base, coarsely and irregularly 

 serrate, or inciso-serrate in upper and median portion of the leaf, veins very pro"- 

 minent beneath, plainly marked above, pubescent on both surfaces with short 

 multicellular hairs ; 1 ^ to 4 inches long, -| to 2 inches broad ; petiole puberulous, 

 to f inch long. Inflorescence in few flowered cymes, the two lower branches of 

 which are widely divaricate, and with the others form a loose compound panicle, 

 the ultimate branches of wlvch are 1 to 3 flowered, the whole inflorescence 

 terminal on short, axillary leafy branches ; common peduncle reaching from 1 to 2 

 inches long, bracts and bracteoles linear or linear-lanceolate, pubescent 1^ to 3^ 

 lines long, lower ones frequently larger and leafy. Calyx gamosepalous, broadly 

 campunulate, 5-lobed, lobes ovate, spreading, a little longer than tube, thickly 

 covered on upper surface with minute, stalked glandular hairs, minutely pubescent 

 beneath, the whole calyx spreading to 6 to 9 lines in diameter. Corolla gamo- 

 petalous, tube short, inflated, curved, villous in throat, otherwise glabrous, 4 to 5 

 lines long, limb 5-lobed, the 4 upper lobes subequal, oblong, rounded at apex, 

 widely spreading, greenish white, about ^ inch long; the lower lobe obovate, 

 spathulate, concave or spoon-shaped, violet blue. Stamens 4, inserted at base of 

 throat, long exserted, filaments curved, thickened and densely villous in lower 

 portion, anthers ovate, 2-celled, cells parallel. Ovary superior, subglobose, or 

 often obscurely 2-lobed, minutely glandular, 2-celled, cells 2 ovuled ; green, style 

 filiform, curved, 2-lobed, lobes slender, acute. Drupe deeply lobed, 2-3 seeded, 

 5 to 6 lines in diameter. 



Habitat : NATAL : Coast and midlands to at least 2,000 feet alt. Inanda, 

 ],tOO feet alt, September, Wood No. 657; Umgeni, 150 feet alt, October, Thode ; 

 Congella, Sanderson No. 718; Eshowe, Mrs. K. Saunders; near Durban, 200 feet 

 alt, October, Wood No. 8324. 



A low half rambling shrub, usually found in woods, the leaves are un- 

 pleasantly scented when bruised, and the flowers are remarkable for their colour- 

 ing, four of the corolla lobes being white or greenish white, the other violet blue. I 

 cannot learn the native name, nor do they put it to any use. It is not very 

 common. 



Fig. 1, a flower natural size; 2, calyx and young avary; 3, corolla opened ; 

 4, a stamen, front view ; 5, same, back view; 6, ovary, style and stigma ; 7, fruit; 8, 

 hairs, simple and glandular ; except fig. 1, all enlarged. 



