PLATE 361. 



HERMANNIA MALVAEFOLIA, N. E. Brown (Kew Bulletin, 1895, p. 24). 

 Natural Order, STERCULIAC.E. 



A prostrate sparsely leafy plant, bearing yellow flowers, and stellate tomen- 

 tose in all parts. Stems several, wiry, elongate terete, 1 to 2 feet or more long. 

 Leaves alternate, petiolate, stipulate, distant, orbicular, finely crenate, cordate at 

 base, stellate tomentose on both surfaces, 3 to 1 1 lines long and wide ; petioles 2 ' 

 to 7 lines long ; stipules ovate, acute, dark brown. Flowers solitary, opposite to 

 the leaves, pedicels 2 to 3| lines long, bracteate in the middle, bracts clasping. 

 Calyx campanulate, 5-fid to middle, teeth acute, erect, 1 line long, tube 1 line 

 long. Corolla of 5 obovate petals, stellate-tomentose externally in lower portion ; 

 their claws incurved. Stamens 5, included, opposite to the petals ; filaments 

 flattened above, wider upwards, tuberculated above the middle, sparsely stellate 

 tomentose ; anthers 2-celled, opening outwards, acuminate, finely ciliate. Ovary 

 superior, subglobose, 5-celled, cells several ovuled ; style elongate, glabrous ; 

 stigma obtuse. Capsule not seen. 



Habitat : NATAL : On the Drakensherg, Bushman's River, 6,000 to 7,000 feet 

 alt., growing amongst dry grass, July, Evans, .~>5. 



Drawn from Evans's 55. 



The only specimens in the Herbarium are not very complete, and have but 

 few flowers, I have therefore had to rely on Mr. Brown's measurements ; the 

 largest leaf we have is only 6 to 7 lines in diameter, but Mr. Brown gives the 

 measurement as 3 to 11> lines. 



A note in the Kew Bulletin says : " This is quite unlike any other species in 

 the genus ; the leaves resemble those of Malva rotundifolia, L., but are smaller, 

 and not at all lobed. 



Fig. 1, flower ; 2, calyx ; 3, a petal ; 4, a stamen ; 5, pistil ; 6, cross section 

 of ovary ; all enlarged. 



