PLATE 547. 



WRIGHTIA NATALENSIS, Stapf. (Fl. Cap. Vol. IV, Sec. I, p. 509.) 

 Natural Order APOCYNACE^E. 



A shrub 8 to 12 feet in height, young branches rusty-pubescent, older 

 glabrous, bark grey. Leaves lanceolate-acuminate, cuneate at base, reaching to 

 3| inches long, 1 inch wide, young ones bearing a few minute hairs at base on 

 lower surface, mature ones quite glabrous ; veins pinnate ; petiole 2 to 4 lines 

 long. Inflorescence paniculate, panicles few-flowered, sub-corymbose, shorter 

 than the leaves, the peduncles and pedicels rusty pubescent. Bracts linear, 

 minute. Calyx of 5 almost free sepals, which are oblong, obtuse, with membranous 

 margins, the three inner ones bearing minute fleshy scales, two of them with 2 

 scales each, one with only one scale. Corolla yellow, densely and minutely 

 papillose on outer surface, tube 2 lines long, lobes oblong, obtuse, 4 lines long, 

 bearing 4 " epipetalous emarginate scales which are united for half their length 

 into a short corona, and bear each 2 filiform appendages shorter than the scales." 

 Anthers 2 lines long, conniving in a cone. Carpels 2, oblong, free ; style filiform ; 

 stigma capitate, with an obscure frill at base, and a minutely cleft tip, shorter 

 than the anthers. Fruit not seen. 



Habitat NATAL : Umzinyati Falls, 300 to 500 ft. alt., Haygarth in Herb., 

 Wood 7861 ; same locality, October, Wood 11,530 in Colonial Herbarium 12,420. 



The genus Wrightia includes about 20 species, all of which except W. 

 natalensis are found " in the warmer parts of Asia, and Northern Australia." Up 

 to the present time W. natalensis has not been found in any other locality than 

 the one given above, where it was first gathered by Mr. Haygarth in 1899. The 

 follicles, have not yet been seen by us though diligent search has been made for 

 them, as the flowers appear to fall off without being fertilised. In one respect 

 the above description differs from the one given in the Flora Capensis, where it 

 says of the sepals, " each with one fleshy scale within." Numerous freshly 

 gathered flowers were examined by the artist, and in every case the scales were 

 found as described above. 



Fig. 1, calyx opened; 2, a flower, calyx removed; 3, portion of the corolla, 

 showing stamens ; 4, same showing corona, stamens removed ; 5, a stamen ; 6, 

 pistil; all enlarged. 



