PLATE 566. 



TELOSMA AFRIOANA, N. E. B. (Fl. Cap. Vol. 4, Sect. I, p. 776.) 

 Natural Order, ASOLEPIADE^E. 



A climbing plant with green flowers. Stems glabrous, terete, 10 feet or more 

 long, sparingly branched. Leaves opposite, petiolate, blade 1 to 7 inches long, 1 

 to 4 inches broad, oblong-ovate to broadly ovate, acuminate and shortly cuspidate, 

 acute or obtuse, more or less gradually tapering to base, quite glabrous, dark green 

 and shining above, duller beneath ; petiole -| to 1 inch long. Inflorescence sub- 

 corymbose, peduncles very short, pedicels 3 to 4 lines long. Sepals 1 -| to 2 lines 

 long, up to 1 line broad, acuminate from a broad base, minutely ciliate, glabrous. 

 Corolla gamopetalous, tube J inch long, sub-globose, constricted in upper portion, 

 glabrous externally, reddish brown, densely hairy at throat, with 5 minute tufts of 

 hairs at base alternating with the lobes ; lobes 5, horizontally spreading, linear 

 attenuate, light green, twisted to the right, having a line of hairs in the centre at 

 base, which gradually disappears upwards. Corona 5-lobed, lobes arising from 

 base of the staminal column, erect, 1 to If line long, broadly obovate, rounded, 

 truncate at apex, with a linear-oblong appendage 1 line long from about the middle 

 of the inner face, which is connivent over the staminal column; anther appendages 

 f to 1 line long, ovate-lanceolate, connivent over the obtuse style apex. Follicles 

 not seen. 



Habitat: NATAL. Berea, near Durban, McKenZ; 1996; Berea, i50ft. alt., 

 December-March, Wood 3395, 5 147, 6591 ; Tugela Valley, Gerrard 1804. 



This plant was formerly known as Pergularia africana, which was admittedly 

 a mistake ; it has now been published under the above name. Telosma is a genus 

 containing but few species, " mostly Indian and Malayan," the one here described 

 being the only South African species so far as at present known. In Natal it has so 

 far only been found in the coast districts anH is not common, but it is also said to be a 

 native of Tropical Africa. It is a wide climbing plant, whose corollas are reddish 

 brown on the lower and light green on the upper surface, and it is of no economic 

 value. 



Fig. 1 , a flower ; 2, corona ; 3, corona lobe ; 4, staminal column ; 5, a stamen ; 

 6, pollen-masses ; 7, pistil ; all enlarged. 



