PLATE 37d. 



CAPPAEIS OORYMBIFERA, E. Mey. (Fl. Cap. Vol. I., p. 62.) 

 Natural Order, CAPPARIDEJ:. 



A spiny rambling shrub with white flowers. Stems and branches terete, 

 green, pubescent. Leaves alternate, petiolate, stipulate, oblong to ovate-oblong, 

 quite entire, obtuse at base and apex, mid-vein prominent beneath ; glabrous, dark 

 green and shining above, paler and dull beneath, 2 to 3 inches long, 1 to 1^ inch 

 wide. Stipules spiny from a broad base, strongly recurved, pungent. Inflores- 

 cence corymbose, terminal ; flowers white; pedicels up to 1^ inch long. Sepals 

 4, strongly concave, ovate-oblong, densely rusty tomentose externally, imbricate 

 in aestivation ; 4 to 5 lines long. Petals 4, inserted on a hemispherical toriis, 

 imbricate, broadly spathulate or obovate, thickened and densely pilose at base with 

 white hairs, pubescent upwards, light green ; 1 inch long, 8 to 9 lines wide in 

 upper portion. Stamens numerous, inserted with petals on the torus, filaments 

 filiform, white; 1^ to If inch long ; anthers 2-celled, dorsifixed. Ovary stipitate, 

 the stipe (thecaphore) a little longer than the stamens, light pink. Ovary subglo- 

 bose, but a little elongate at the apex; ovules numerous, on two opposite parietal 

 placentas. Berry globose, many seeded, the seeds lying in pulp ; at maturity 

 compressed, or subreniform, curved. 



Habitat: NATAL: Drege ; Krauss ; Gueinzius ; Verulam, 200 feet alt, Septem- 

 ber, Wood, 651 ; Berea, 150 feet alt, Wood, February and July. 



One species of this genus has already been figured and described in this 

 work (Vol III., p. 214), the species now figured is confined to the coast districts 

 and is of more robust growth than any other Natal species. The flowers in this 

 description are said to be white, and that is their general appearance, in reality 

 the filaments alone are white, but on account of their number and prominence 

 they are the most conspicuous part of the flower. The plant is not in Natal used 

 in any way, and is known to the natives as i-Quaningi. 



Fig. l,a stamen ; 2, thecaphore and ovary ; 3, longitudinal section of ovary ; 

 4, fruit ; except fig. 4, all enlarged ; fig. 4. natural size. 



