PLATE 369. 



VANGUBRIA INFATJSTA, Burcli (Fl. Cap. Vol. III. p. 13). 

 Natural Order, RUBIACKAE. 



A shrub 3 to 10 feet high, bearing axillary panicles of green flowers, and 

 yielding an eatable fruit. Stems one or several, usually short, branches terete,, 

 compressed at nodes, densely rusty-tomentose. Leaves opposite, petiolate, stipu- 

 late, deciduous, quite entire, ovate or ovate-oblong, veins prominent beneath, less 

 so above ; upper surface finely pubescent with short erect hairs, dark green ; 

 under surface more densely pubescent and lighter in colour ; 3 to 6 inches long, 

 2 to 4 inches wide; petioles 3 to 9 lines long, pubescent like the leaves; stipules 

 cuspidate from a broad base, clothed internally with long whitish bristles. Inflor- 

 escence axillary, paniculate, the panicles 2-3-chotomous, much shorter than the 

 leaves, bracteate, bracts small deciduous. Calyx gamosepalous, 5-lobed, tube 

 turbinate, 1 line long, densely pubescent externally. Corolla gamopetalous, tube 

 cylindrical, 2 lines long, lobes oblong, minutely hooded at apex; 1^ line long; 

 throat densely clothed inside with long white hairs in two rows, those of the upper 

 row erect, of the lower reversed, the whole corolla pubescent externally ; bracts 

 small, deciduous. Stamens 5, on throat of corolla; anthers linear-oblong, 2-celled, 

 dark brown, filaments very short. Ovary inferior, 5-celled, cells 1 ovuled ; style 

 subulate, stigma shortly cylindric, large, intruse at base, obtuse at apex. Fruit 

 globose, 1 inch in diameter, edible. 



Habitat: NATAL: Krauss, 219 ; Sanderson, 306; Williamson, Drrge, Gueinzius, 

 56; Inanda, Wood, 670; Berea, Nov. \\ 7 ood, 9568, var. virescens, near Durban, 

 Wood, 9569. 



In the Flora Capensis a variety of this plant is described as var. viresctns, 

 the onl_y difference given being that in the type the leaves are said to be " densely 

 covered with a yellowish tomentum," while in the variety they are said to be " green 

 and glabrous or nearly so;" specimens of both varieties gathered near Durban are 

 now before me, and except in the absence of hairs on all parts except stipules and 

 throat of corolla I see no material difference between them. In the Flora 

 Capensis it is also said that the variety virescens is nearly allied to V. edulis, Vahl. 

 a native of tropical Africa and Madagascar. . V. infciusta is the host plant of a 

 fungus, Hemileia Woodii, K. & C., which is nearly related to the destructive 

 Hemi eia vastatrix, a pest which has been so fatal to the coffee crops in Ceylon 

 and elsewhere; another fungus JEddivm, vanyueriese, Cke is also found in abun- 

 dance on this plant, attacking not only the leaves, but also the flowers and fruit, 

 the distinct Aecidinm cups may be easily distinguished, while the Hemileia forms 

 distinct patches of orange coloured dust on the lower surface of the leaves. It 

 has been suggested that this plant might be cultivated for the purpose of improv- 

 ing the fruit, but whether it is advisable to cultivate a plant which is so badly 

 infested with these pests is somewhat doubtful, I should rather suggest that the 

 plants should be exterminated as far as possible. 



Fig. 1, calyx; 2, same seen from above; 3, flowar; 4, corolla opened showing 

 stamens ; 5, corolla lobe ; 6, style and stigma; 7, fruit; 8, cross section of ovary ; 

 all enlarged. 



