28 



PLATE 297. 



BARLERTA OBTUSA, Nees. (PL Cap. Vol. V., Part 1, p. 52). 

 Natural Order, ACANTHAOM. 



A very variable plant so far as as size is concerned, sometimes only a foot or 

 more high, at others, especially at edges of woods and climbing amongst the 

 undershrnbs reaching to 6 feet or more in length, and with leaves and interludes 

 proportionally larger and longer. Stem and branches more or less ribbed, hairy. 

 Leaves opposite, petiolate, exstipulate, very variable in size, ovate or elliptic, acute 

 or acuminate, tapering at base, margins entire, pubescent on bnt h surfaces ; 

 petioles varying in length from to f inch, pilose. Cymes axillary, few flowered, 

 " often monopodial," bracteoles linear, 2 to 4 lines long, usually recurved. Calyx 

 gamosepalous, 4 -parted, two outer segments enclosing the others, oblong, obtuse, 

 veiny, pubescent and ciliate, reaching to 8 lines long and 4 lines wide ; inner 

 segments narrowly oblong, acuminate, pubescent and ciliate, 2 to 8 lines long, 1 

 line wide. Corolla gamopetalous, funnel-shaped, 5-lobed, blue, tube cylindrical 

 widening gradually to throat, internally dark lined, limb unequally 5-lobed, the 

 three larger lobes obovate, two smaller oblong, the whole corolla (in our specimens) 

 spreading to l^ inch. Stamens 2 perfect and '5 short rudimentary ones half way 

 down the corolla tube, the perfect ones equalling the corolla in length ; filaments 

 filiform, white; anthers 2"-celled, black, not spurred. Ovary oblong, seated on a 

 cupular disk, finely pilose near the apex, 2-celled, cells 2-ovuled ; style filiform, 

 stigma unequally lobed, purple. Capsule ellipsoid, strongly compressed, glabrous 

 and shining, 4-seeded, seeds hairy. 



Habitat: NATAL: All over the Colony from near the sea to at least 3-4,000 

 feet alt. It has been gathered by numerous collectors both in Natal, Cape Colony, 

 Orange River Colony and Transvaal, also in Tropical Africa. 



Drawn and described from specimens gathered near Durban, March, 1902. 



A rather variable plant, especially in size of leaves and habit. The blue 

 flowers are very handsome, especially in the larger varieties. It is usually found 

 at edges of woods straggling amongst the undergrowth and flowering towards the 

 close of the season. It is of no economic value, nor can we ascertain the native 

 name. 



Fig. 1 , calyx with one sepal removed ; 2, corolla opened ; 3, disk, ovary, style 

 and stigma ; all enlarged. 



