PLATE 307. 



Scr/EROOARYA OAFFEA, Sond. (Fl. Cap. Vol. I. p. 524). 

 Natural Order, ANAOAEDIACEAE. 



A deciduous tree 20 to 30 feet high, with rough bark, and branches rough 

 with scars of fallen leaves. Leaves crowded at the ends of the branches, alternate, 

 petiolate, exstipulate, unequally pinnate, 6 to 12 inches long, including the common 

 petiole, which is 2 to 4 inches long and minutely pubescent, compressed at base, 

 and tinged with pink above ; leaflets 5 to 13, opposite, ovate to elliptical, tapering 

 to the petiolule at base, cuspidate at apex, margins entire, and pinkish in the 

 younger leaves, Iflmina green above, pale beneath, glabrous except along the mid- 

 vein beneath, where it is pubescent with minute woolly hairs, 1 to 2 inches long, f 

 to 1^ inches wide ; secondary petioles -| to 1 inch long. Male flowers racemose, 

 appearing with the leaves, and amongst them ; 2 to 4 inches long, few flowered. 

 Sepals 4, suborbicular, concave, imbricate, dull red, | to ^ as long as petals. 

 Petals 4, ovate-oblong, concave, reflexed, 2^ lines long, 1|- lines wide, tinged 

 with red ; pedicels 2 to 3 lines long; bracts small, broadly ovate, concave. 

 Stamens 12 to 24, inserted round a fleshy flattened yellowish disk; filaments 

 equalling the petals in length ; anthers 2-celled, oblong, basifixed, introrse. 

 Perfect flowers solitary, pedunculate Calyx and corolla similar to male. Stamens 

 mostly or all barren. Ovary subglobose, compressed, glabrous ; 2 to 3-celled, 

 cells 1-ovuled, ovules pendulous, one or two of the cells usually barren; styles 2 

 or 3, distant, short ; stigmas peltate, red. Fruit a drupe. 



Habitat : NATAL : In woods, coast districts, to at least 2,000 feet above sea 

 level. Inanda, i,8UO feet alt., September, Wood, No. 1148; near Durban, 100 

 feet alt., November, Wood, No. 8644. 



The genus Sclerocarya contains 4 species only, of which two are natives of 

 Madagascar, one of Abyssinia, and the above described species, which has been 

 found in Natal and Transvaal only. The generic name is derived from two words 

 meaning " hard " and " Walnut." The fruit is about the size, when ripe, of a 

 small hen's egg, is usually laterally compressed, and is yellow or greenish yellow. 

 The small quantity of pulp between the outer skin and the kernel, has somewhat 

 the flavour of the Mango, but is much more acid ; its scent is not unpleasant, but 

 it is disappointing to the taste. The fruits are used by the natives of Amatonga- 

 land for making an intoxicating drink. The wood is of little value, but is used by 

 the natives for making utensils of different kinds, and some part of the tree is used 

 as an aperient. The native name is " um-Gamo." 



Fig. 1, branchlet with leaves and female flowers; 2, same with male flowers; 

 3, male flower ; 4, stamen ; 5, longitudinal section of female flower; 6, fruit; 7, 

 cross-section of same ; except Figs 1, 2, 6, all enlarged. 



