PLATE 545. 



HALLEBIA LUCIDA, Linn. (PI. Cap. Vol. IY, Sec. II, p. 207.) 

 Natural Order SOROPHULAEIACE^E. 



A small tree reaching to 20 feet in height, bearing numbers of solitary or 

 clustered deep orange-red flowers, either in the axils of the leaves, or lateral on 

 the trunk or branches, Branches numerous, usually opposite, branchlets slender, 

 leafy. Leaves opposite, petiolate, exstipulate, ovate-acuminate, narrowed to the 

 petiole, margins serrate except at the basal portion, smooth, glabrous, bright 

 green, veiny ; 1 to 4 inches long, to 3 inches broad ; petioles ^ to f inch long. 

 Peduncles up to % inch long, having two minute opposite bracts placed from to 

 ^ inch from the base. Calyx tube widely conical, lobes 3-5, unequal, obtuse, 

 spreading, green. Corolla 1 inch long, tubular, slightly curved, gibbous at base, 

 widening to throat, limb short, oblique, lobes 4-5, unequal, very obtuse, minutely 

 ciliolate. Stamens 4, exserted, didynamous, inserted about the middle of the 

 corolla tube, filaments filiform; anthers 2-celled, cells divergent. Style filiform, 

 longer than the stamens ; stigma obtuse. Ovary 2-celled, many ovuled. Fruit 

 baccate, globose, inch diameter, indehiscent, " purple when ripe." Ripe seeds 

 not seen. 



Habitat: NATAL: Inanda, 1800ft. alt., Wood 218; near Pinetown, 1000ft. 

 alt,, August, Wood 4894; Crown Forest Icengena, F. 0. Fernando. Not un- 

 common especially in coast and midland districts. 



The genus Halleria includes 6 species, two of which are found in Madagascar, 

 one in Abyssinia, and three in South Africa, H. lucida being the only one yet 

 reported from Natal. Burchell says that the berries are much eaten by the 

 Hottentots; the tree is known to the Zulus as Iminza, and they also eat the ripe 

 berries. Of the wood Fourcade says : " heavy hard, very strong, moderately, 

 elastic, close grained. used by the natives for assegai handles." 



Pappe says in his Silva Capensis : " Wood like red beech, but of a finer grain, 

 hard, tough and well adapted for carpenters' work, planes, screws, joiners' 

 benches, and tools of every description. It also supplies the wagonmaker with a 

 good article for poles, etc." 



Fig. 1 , calyx and pistil ; 2, corolla opened, showing stamens ; 3, cross section 

 of ovary ; 4, cluster of berries, natural size ; figs. 1, 2, 3 enlarged. 



