PLATE 371. 



GERBEHA AURANTIACA, Sch. Bip. (Fl. Cap. Vol. III. p 523. 

 Natural Order, COMPOSITE. 



An herbaceous, stemless perennial, bearing flower heads which vary from 

 scarlet to deep crimson. Rootstock woody. Leaves petiolate, lanceolate to 

 oblong-lanceolate, acute at apex, gradually tapering at base, and decurrent as a 

 narrow wing on the petiole almost to its base, margins entire or obscnrely denti- 

 culate, cilia te, pilose on both surfaces, becoming glabrous in age, mid vein stout, 

 secondary ones indistinct, the whole leaf including the petiole, 6 to 10 inches long, 

 1 to 2 inches wide. Heads heterogamous, politary, 2 to 3 inches in diameter when 

 expanded, on densely tomentose peduncles which are longer than the leaves. 

 Involucral scales in several rows, free to base, the outer ones short, inner longer, 

 innermost longest ; all subulate, herbaceous and densely tomentose. Ray florets 

 in two rows, those of the outer row bilabiate, outer lip 1^ inch long, bi-or triden- 

 tate at apex, inner minute, lacerate nearly to base, scarlet or crimson on upper 

 suface, dull orange beneath, veiny ; those of the inner row, shortly bilabiate, outer 

 lip 3-fid at apex, inner 2 to 3 cleft; disk florets subsimilar. Achenes of perfect 

 florets pubescent, of the barren disk florets glabrous. Pappus in two or more 

 rows, copious, of rough bristles, purple in upper portion, yellow below. Stamens 

 included; anthers sagittate or tailed at base. Style branches short, obtuse. Ripe 

 achenes not seen. 



Habitat- NVTAL: Grassy hills near Maritzburg, 2,000 to 3,000 feet alt., 

 Kmuss ; Sutherland: Sanderson, 154; Liddesdale, near Howick, 4-5,000 feet alt. 

 Wood, 4,254; near Greytown, April Wood (Government Herbarium 4,986) ; Zulu- 

 land, Qudeni, 6,000 feet alt., May, Davis, 85 (Government Herbarium, 8,7P6) near 

 Maritzburg, Ruttrr, November (Wood, 9635). 



A very handsome species, the flower heads are nearly or quite as large as 

 those of G. Jamesoni, the well known " Barberton Daisy," and the plant is well 

 worth cultivation. The specimen from which the drawing was made was brought 

 from near- Maritzburg by Mr. Rutter, and several plants of it brought at the same 

 time are now growing in the Gardens and promising well so far. One other 

 species of this genus has been figured in this work, viz', G. Kranssii. Plate 56, 

 Vol. I. 



Fig. 1, involucre; 2, scale of same; 3, outer ray floret, lower portion ; 4, disk 

 floret ; 5, stamens ; 6, portion of style with stigmas ; 7, achene ; all enlarged . 



