t>LATE 332. 



VERNONIA VERNONELLA, HARV. (Fl. Cap. Vol. II, p. 53.) 

 Natural Order, COMPOSITE. 



A perennial glabrous plant throwing up several stems from a woody root. 

 Stems furrow-striat, 6 to 15 inches long. Leaves linear-oblong, entire, narrowed 

 to base, acute, sessile, 1 -veined, 1 to 2^ inches long, smaller upwards, margins a 

 little recurved. Heads terminal, solitary, pedunculate, many flowered, f to 1 J inch 

 diameter, flowers purple. Involucral scales in several rows, oblong, obtuse, 

 glabrous, margins irregularly lacerate. Pappus in two series, outer ones much the 

 shortest, of very short narmw scales, inner of many long, minutely serrate, dull 

 coloured bristles. Corollas tubular, very deeply 5-fid, lobes lanceolate. Stamens 

 5, filaments smooth ; anthers sagittate. Achenes densely silky. 



Habitat: NATAL: Guienzius No. 334 ; Inyaninga, near Verulam, 200 feet alt, 

 November, Wood, No. 2848 ; Mount Edgecombe, 200 feet alt, November, Wood. 



This plant does not appear to be very common ; we have only met with it in 

 the localities quoted, both being only a mile or two from the sea-coast. It would 

 seem to be confined to Natal. It does not appear to be known to the natives, who 

 probably confuse it with V. monocephala, or V. Gerrardi, from both of which it is 

 easily distinguished by its broad, obtuse, lacerate involucral scales. It is a rather 

 coarse looking plant and is scarcely worthy of cultivation. 



Fig. 1, involucral scale; 2, floret ; 3, achene; all enlarged. 



