PLATE 583. 



PELARGONIUM WOODII, N. E. Brown. (Kew Bulletin 1909, p. 306). 

 Nat. Order, GERANIACE.E. 



An herbaceous plant with very short woody stems. Leaves 5 to 6 inches 

 long, 2J to 3 inches wide, oblong in general outline, narrowing towards apex, 

 obtuse, pinnately lobed, the lobes or segments imbricate, cuneate, the lowest ones 

 shortly petiolate, central sessile, uppermost ones decurrent, and becoming inciso- 

 pinnatisect, the lobes and lobules crenato-dentate, the lobes of the lower half of 

 the leaf bipartite, the whole leaf and petiole glandular pilose ; petiole 2 to 3 inches 

 long. Peduncles and petioles glandular pilose, the peduncles 5 to 8 inches long ; 

 umbels 6 to 12 flowered, pedicels 2f to 3| inches long, spreading horizontally 

 from above the swelling. Bracts many, lanceolate from a broad base, erect or 

 sub-erect ; pedicels 4 to 10 lines long below the swelling, If inch above it. Sepals 5, 

 oblong, acute, 4 to 5 lines long, 2 lines wide, strongly reflexed, dull red. Petals 5, 

 cuneate, multifid-laciniate, j inch long by \ inch wide, the two upper ones greenish 

 straw colour, the lower ones deep pink. Stamens 10, unequal in length, 5-7-fertile, 

 remainder barren. Ovary of 5 uniovulate carpels, which cohere round a torus to 

 which the styles adhere ; stigmas 5, recurved, stigmatic on outer surface. 



Habitat : NATAL. Slopes of Drakensberg Mts., 5-6,000 ft. alt. Olivers Hoek, 

 Jan., 1886. Living plants. Impendhle, 5-6,000 ft. alt. Wylie, living plants. 



Drawn and described from plants growing in Botanic Gardens, Durban, and 

 which were brought from the upper districts. 



This plant belongs to the Section Polyactium which has tuberous roots, lobed 

 or pinnately decompound leaves, and many flowered umbels, and to that division 

 whose petals are fimbriato-multifid, this part of the Section includes so far as we 

 can ascertain from the Flora Capensis, 5 species only, 4 of which are natives of the 

 Cape Colony, while the above described species has so far as we are aware only 

 been found in Natal, though it may probably be found in the Orange River Colony 

 also. 



Fig. 1 , plant ; 2, leaf ; 3, inflorescence ; 4, flower, petals removed and tube 

 opened; 5, pistil; G, cross section of ovary; figs. I, 2, 3, natural si^e, remainder 

 enlargsd. 



