PLATE 517. 



PENTAREHINUM INSIPIDUM, B. MET. (Fl. Cap. Vol. IV, Sec. I, Part V, p. 741.) 



Natural Order, ASCLEPIADE^. 



A perennial climbing plant bearing false umbels of white flowers. Stems 

 minutely puberulous, terete, wide climbing. Leaves opposite, petiolate, cordate 

 at base with broadly rounded lobes, acute or acuminate at apex, margins quite 

 entire ; the whole leaf quite glabrous ; reaching to 3| inches long, 3 inches wide ; 

 petiole up to 2 inches long, minutely pubescent on upper side. Inflorescence 

 lateral at the nodes, in umbel-like corymbs the main axil elongating into a very 

 short raceme during growth ; bracts ^ to 1 line long, subulate, deciduous, pedicels 

 4 to 10 lines long, puberulous. Sepals 1 to 1^ line long, lanceolate, acute, 

 puberulous. Corolla green, lobes 2 to 3 lines long, 1 to 1J line broad, oblong, 

 acute, glabrous, very strongly reflexed, minutely ciliate. Corona 5 lobed, the 

 lobes alternating with the corolla lobes and arising from the base of the staminal 

 column, about 1 line long, the lower portion channelled on its inner sides, convex 

 outwardly, much widened at apex from whence projects a broadly subulate tooth 

 which is curved inwardly over the top of the anthers, ivory white; anthers with 

 a membranous appendage inflexed over the top of the style. Pollinia pendulous, 

 oblong. Follicles solitary, 1 to 3 inches long to 1 inch wide, ovate-oblong, acute, 

 tuberculate-echinate, glabrous (in our specimen.) 



Habitat: NATAL: Near Durban, McKen 825; Wood 266, 19, 167; Hilton 

 3700 feet, Dr. Brown 230 ; Tintern 5000 feet, Evans; Also in Transkei, Griqualand 

 East, and Tropical Africa. 



Of this genus two species only are certainly known, the other being a native 

 of Abyssinia, two others are enumerated as South African, but both are doubtful. 

 This plant was figured and described by the late Professor Harvey in the 

 Thesaurus Capensis and he says of it " the young pods which are tasteless are 

 eaten by the Hottentots, they are shaped like cucumbers." 



Fig. 1, calyx; 2, corona and staminal column; 3, corona lobe; 4, staminal 

 column ; 5, pollinia ; 6, ovary and style apex ; 7, follicle, natural size, remainder 

 enlarged. 



