PLATE 301. 



CYNANCHUM (VINCETOXICUM) NATALITIUM, Schlecht (Engl. Bot. Jahrb. XVIII. 4, 



No. 45). 

 Natural Order, ASCLEPIADEAE. 



A climber with green and white flowers. Stems glabrous, younger minutely 

 pubescent, terete, wide climbing. Leaves opposite, petiolate, exstipulate, ovate to 

 oblong, entire, mucronulate, glabrous, somewhat fleshy, dark green above, pale 

 beneath, reaching to 2^ inches long, If inch wide; petioles 1 to 1^ inch long, often 

 curved. Inflorescence in axillary umbels each with 4 to 8 flowers, peduncles 

 equalling the petioles, pedicels slender, 3 5 lines long, bracteate at base, bracts 

 minute, triangular. Calyx, gamosepalous, 5-lobed, lobes triangular, acute, much 

 longer than corolla, margins membranous. Corolla gamopetalous, rotate, 5-cleft 

 almost to base, lobes oblong to oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, 2 to 3 lines long, ^ to f- 

 line wide, dull green. Corona tubular, contracted at apex, shortly 5-lobed, lobes 

 truncate with inflexed margins, the whole corona 2 lines long. G-ynostege much 

 shorter than corona, anthers short, with membranous apices and incised margins. 

 Pollinia oblong, compressed, caudicles short, inserted at the base of the oblong 

 obtuse glands. Stigma 5-angled. Follicles oblong-acuminate, 3-winged, 2 to 2^ 

 inches long, ^ to 1 inch wide, on a strongly curved peduncle. 



Habitat : NATAL : Coast districts, near the sea. Schlechter, 3082 ; Bluff 250 

 feet alt., July, Wood, No. 5387. 



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



This plant has hitherto been confused with C. crassifolium, with which in general 

 appearance it quite agrees, but Schlechter says in a note to his description of the 

 species ; " I first considered this plant to be a cross between C. crassifolium 

 (L. f.) and C. capense (E. M.), Schlechter, but on further examination I altered my 

 opinion, as I found that the anthers and pollinia were quite different from either." 

 We find also that the corona lobes differ from those of C. crassifolium, which are 

 lanceolate, while in C. natalitium they are as stated in the text. Mr. Schlechter 

 also says that C. natalitium is the only new species of Cynanchum that has been 

 collected since Drege's time. It is fairly common in the coast bush. 



Fig. 1, a flower; 2, calyx; 3, stamina! column and stigma, one stanen 

 removed, showing carpels ; 4, anther ; 5, pollinia ; all enlarged ; 6, follicle, natural 

 size. 



