PLATE 312. 



LOBANTHUS DBEGEI, B. & Z. (PI. Cap. Vol. II., p. 575). 

 Natural Order, LORANTHACEAE. 



A strong growing parasitical shrub ; young twigs green, with minute scaly 

 ferruginous pubescence, older dark coloured, glabrous. Leaves opposite or sub- 

 opporite, petiolate, elliptic-oblong, obtuse at both ends, margins entire; coriaceous, 

 veins pinnate, immersed; 2 to 3 inches long, J to 1| inch wide, minutely 

 punctate, almost glabrous in all stages ; petiole t to \ inch long, thickened. 

 Peduncles thickly scattered on the older and leafless branches, more sparingly 

 on the terminal leafy portion, 1 to -l-flowered; bracteoles obliquely cup-shaped, 

 ciliate with white hairs. Calyx tubular, 2 to 2| inches long, truncate, densely 

 hirsute. Corolla 1 to 2 inches long, tube densely covered with long silky hairs, 

 orange-red, limb 5-lobed, lobes linear, channelled, yellow-green, twice as long as 

 tube. Stamens 5, opposite corolla lobes and inserted on them inch above the 

 sinus; filaments filiform, shorter than corolla lobes, anthers linear, basifixed, 

 2-celled, cells mucronate. Ovary inferior, 1-celled, 1-ovuled ; style filiform, longer 

 than corolla-lobes, stigma clavate, 2-fid at apex, green. Berry oblong, tapering to 

 an obtuse apex, covered with white silky hairs, and crowned with remains of the 

 calyx tube, dull pink when ripe ; 5 lines long, 3 lines wide. 



Habitat: NATAL: Near Durban, Sanderson; Gerrard and McKen; Wood, 

 January ; near Dumbeni, 3,000 to 4,000 feet alt., March, Wood, No. 4467. 



Drawn and described from specimens gathered near Durban, January, 1903. 



Two species of this genus have already been figured in this work, in Vol. 1., 

 plate 76, L. Kraussianus is described, and a short description given of the manner 

 in which these plants are fertilised by birds ; and in Vol. III., plate 295, L. quin- 

 quenervius is figured and described. In the description of L. Dregei in the 

 " Flora Capensis," che pubescence is said to be stellate, and that the pubescence is 

 sometimes long persistent on the under service of the leaves. In the specimens 

 gathered near Durban, the leaves are almost always glabrous, but in the specimen, 

 Wood, No. 4467, gathered near Dumbeni, between Mooi River and Weenen, the 

 leaves are very densely stellate pubescent, and this plant was identified at Kew as 

 L. Dregei. On comparing this with Galpin's 708, which was gathered near 

 Barberton, we find that so far as the pubescence is concerned, they quite corre- 

 spond, and Galpin's specimen was named at Kew L. hreyei, E. fy Z. var., with the 

 remark (see also L. hirtiflorus, Kl.) a clerical error for L. hirsutifiorus. Both 

 Wood's 4467 and Galpin's 708 were parasitical on Acacias. The specimen here 

 figured was on Melia azedarach. 



Fig. 1, calyx and bract ; 2, stamen ; 3, style and stigma ; 4, cross-section of 

 ovary ; all enlarged. 



