PLATE 531. 



STAPELIA GIGANTEA, N.E.B. (Fl. Cap. Vol. IV, Section I, p. 948.) 

 Natural Order ASCLEPIADE^E. 



Stems erect, branching and shortly decumbent at the base, 4-8-inches long, 

 f-lj inch square, pubescent, light dull green; angles much compressed, with erect 

 rudimentary leaves 1-1-g- line long on the small teeth. Flowers 1 -2-together, near 

 the base or towards the middle of the stem ; pedicels about 2 inches long, 2% lines 

 (in fruit about ^ inch) thick, softly pubescent. Sepals 4-5-lines long, lanceolate, 

 acuminate, pubescent. Corolla very large, in bud pentagonally ovoid, acuminate, 

 when expanded 11 to 16 inches diameter, with the united part disk-like, shallowly 

 depressed in the centre ; back pubescent ; inner surface transversely rugulose and 

 thinly covered all over with long, fine, erect, pale purplish hairs, and ciliate with 

 similar but longer hairs, light ochreous-yellow, everywhere marked with transverse 

 crimson lines; lobes 4-6^ inches long, 2-2f inches broad, ovate-lanceolate, 

 acuminate, very spreading or recurved, slightly convex, scarcely revolute at the 

 margins ; outer corona-lobes ascending-spreading, slightly recurved at the apex, 

 ^-3-lines long, 1^-line broad, oblong, slightly concave down the face, 3-toothed at 

 the apex, with the middle tooth subulate, acute and longer than the obtuse side 

 teeth, glabrous, dark purple-brown ; inner corona-lobes dark purple-brown, with 

 the dorsal wing free to the base, ascending, 2-3-inches long, 1-1^-line broad, 

 oblong or subdeltoid-oblong, obtuse or acute, entire ; inner horn 2-3-lines long, 

 erect, subulate, rather obtuse, nearly straight. Follicles slightly diverging; 5-6J- 

 inches long f inch thick, subterete, tapering to an obtuse slightly hooked apex, 

 pubescent. 



Habitat: NATAL: Zululand, Umvelose River, Gerrard, 717; 778; Rocky Hill 

 Indulindi, Zululand, 1-2000 ft. alt., April, Wood. Drawn from cultivated plants 

 in Botanic Garden. 



The above description is by Mr. N. E. Brown of Kew, and is copied verbatim 

 from the Flora Capensis, after comparison with our specimens. S. gigantea has 

 been figured in the Botanical Magazine, Vol. XLV t 7068, and Sir J. D. Hooker 

 says : ' k This, some Rafflesias, and certain species of Aristolochia are the largest 

 flowered members of the vegetable kingdom, and, what is curious, all are most 

 fetid and have lurid colours. They agree in no other character; they differ 

 altogether in habit, and botanical affinity ; and they inhabit widely distant parts 

 of the world, namely South Africa, Malaya and Brazil," The native name of the 

 plant is u-Zililo, and the stems are used by them in hysteria. 



Fig. 1 , stem and flower ; 2, cross section of stem ; 3, calyx ; 4, corona ; 5, 

 outer corona-lobe ; 6, inner corona-lobe ; 7, pollen-masses; 8, pistil; figs. I, 2,3 

 natural size, remainder enlarged. 



