PLATE 



KNIPHOFIA FIBBOSA, Baker. (Fl. Cap. Vol. VI. p. 533). 

 Natural Order, LILIACEAB. 



An herbaceous plant, with pale yellow flowers; old leaves splitting into 

 numerous fibres. Produced leaves 6 to 10 to a stem, narrowly linear, reaching to 

 2 feet long, 1 to 1J line wide, margins strongly recurved, smooth, midrib very 

 prominent beneath. Peduncles slender, as long as the leaves or a little longer. 

 Raceme densely flowered, oblong, 1 to 2 inches long, 1 to ]i inch diameter; 

 pedicels very short, less than 1 line ; bracts ovate-lanceolate, with fine brown keel, 

 the lowest empty ones J inch long, upper shorter Flowers pale yellow, deflexed ; 

 perianth cylindrical, slender, ^ inch long, lobes 6, ovate, 1 line long. Anthers 

 small, oblong, versatile, finally a little exserted, dark brown when dry. Ovary 

 superior, sessile, ovoid, 3-celled, ovules numerous, superposed ; style a little longer 

 than the anthers, filiform, stigma capitate. Capsule not seen. 



Habitat: NATAL: Mahwaqua Mountain, 6,000 to 7,000 feet alt., Evans, 649 ; 

 Van Reenen, 5,000 to 6,000 feet alt., January, Wood, No. 8922. 



Drawn and described from Wood's 8922. 



Two species cf this genus have already been figured and described in this 

 work, viz., K. multiflora (Plate 206) and K.natalensis (Plate 305). The plant here 

 described is smaller than either, and is a rather pretty species. Some of the 

 measurements here given do not exactly agree with those given by Mr. Baker in 

 the " Flora Capensis," but the plant does not agree with any other species 

 described in that work. Mr. Baker described from Mr. Evans's specimen, which 

 is not in our Herbarium. In a note Mr. Baker says, " Near K. gradHs, Earv., and 

 K. Evansii, Baker." From the former our plant differs in the length of the raceme, 

 and shape and size of the bracts, and from the latter in the shape and size of the 

 bracts and the colour of the flowers. 



Fig. 1, flower with bract; 2, corolla opened; 3, stamen, front view; 4, same, 

 back view ; all enlarged. 



