622 



ST A 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



ST A 



26. Stapelia Articulata ; Jointed Stapelia. Branches flow- 

 ering at the top, round tubercles; tubercles mucronate ; 

 flowers subsessile ; corollas papillose ; segments lanceolate. 

 This is a low ferruginous plant. The Hottentots eat the 

 stalks raw, and the Dutch pickled with vinegar. Native of 

 Southern Africa. 



27. Stapelia Mammillaris ; Prickly Stapelia. Branches 

 flowering in the middle, erect, roundish, tubercled ; tubercles 

 spiny; peduncles shorter than the corolla, which is smooth, 

 with the segments lanceolate. Native of Southern Africa. 



28. Stapelia Pruinosa ; Frosted Stapelia. Branches erect, 

 four-cornered, flowering in the middle ; peduncles shorter 

 than the flower ; corollas pubescent; segments ovate-acute, 

 covered with very small white hairs as if with hoar-frost. 

 Native of Africa. 



29. Stapelia Ramosa; Branched Stapelia. Branches 

 almost upright, four-cornered, flowering- in the middle on 

 the outside of the teeth ; peduncles shorter than the flower ; 

 corollas flat ; segments lanceolate, rolled back at the edge ; 

 colour dark purple. Plant a foot high or more. Native of 

 Southern Africa, beyond Platt Kloof. 



30. Stapelia Pulla ; Black-flowered Stapelia. Branches 

 erect, subhexagonal, flowering in the middle on the outside 

 of the teeth ; peduncles shorter than the flowers ; segments 

 of the corolla erect, lanceolate-acuminate, rolled back at the 

 edge. It is distinguished from the preceding species by its 

 hexagonal, acuminate, toothed branches. The flowers are 

 a little larger, growing several together, on short aggregate 

 stalks, pale externally, but almost black on the upper sur- 

 face of their segments. Native of hot sandy deserts in 

 Southern Africa. 



31. Stapelia Adscendens ; East Indian Stapelia. Stems 

 four-cornered, ascending, flowering at the top ; peduncles 

 shorter than the corolla, which is smooth, with the segments 

 linear, reflexed at the edge, and acute; flowers axillary, 

 about the extremities of the branches, generally single, erect, 

 small, variegated with dark purple and yellow. Native of 

 the East Indies, wherfe it is not very common : it grows among 

 bushes on high dry barren ground, flowering during the wet 

 season. The natives eat the most succulent tender branches 

 raw, although they have a salt and bitter taste. 



32. Stapelia Quadrangula. Stem four-cornered ; branches 

 divaricating, flowering at the top ; teeth truncate; flowers 

 sessile, yellowish-green. Native of Arabia Felix. 



33. Stapelia Incarnata ; Flesh-coloured Stapelia. Branches 

 four-cornered, stiff', flowering at the top, on the outside of the 

 teeth ; peduncles shorter than the corolla ; the segments of 

 which are lanceolate, and acute; corolla flat, smooth, flesh- 

 coloured, varying to white. The flowers are small. The 

 tender branches are eaten by the Hottentots. Native of 

 Southern Africa, in dry sandy fields. 



34. Stapelia Punctata; Purple-dotted Stapelia. Branches 

 decumbent, oblong, somewhat four-cornered, flowering in 

 the middle ; peduncles twice as long as the corolla, which is 

 bell-shaped, with the segments spreading, lanceolate, acute; 

 corolla bluish-white, with purple dots. Native of Southern 

 Africa, in Namaqua land. 



35. Stapelia Geminata. Branches decumbent, round, 

 flowering at the top ; peduncles geminate, length of the 

 corolla; the segments of which are lanceolate, rolled back 

 at the edge ; rorolla orange-coloured, with blood-red dots ; 

 divisions narrow, spreading, glandular. This low plant is 

 found in hot places under shrubs, in Southern Africa. 



36. Stapelia Decora. Branches oblong, decumbent, round, 

 obscurely four-cornered, flowering at the base ; peduncles 

 longer than the flower ; bottom of the corolla five-cornered ; 



segments ovate-lanceolate, rolled back at the edge ; corolla 

 yellow, mixed with black, narrowed, lanceolate, spreading, rug- 

 ged above, rolled back at the edge. This is thought to be a 

 variety of the preceding species. Native of Southern Africa. 



37. Stapelia Pulchella. Branches four-cornered, decum- 

 bent, flowering above the base ; peduncles many-flowered ; 

 bottom of the corolla circular; segments ovate-acute. This 

 is a smooth branching plant. Native of Southern Africa. 



38. Stapelia Vetula. Branches four-cornered, erect, flower- 

 ing at the base ; peduncles shorter than the corolla, which 

 is smooth, with the segments ovate, acuminate, three-nerved 

 above : colour dark purple. Native of Southern Africa. 



39. Stapelia Verrucosa; Warty-flowered Stapelia. Branches 

 ascending, four-cornered, flowering at the base ; peduncles 

 longer than the corolla, which is warted, with the segments 

 ovate and acute, the bottom five-cornered and rugged. 

 Native of Southern Africa. 



40. Stapelia Irrorata. Branches from erect spreading, 

 four-cornered, flowering at the base ; peduncles longer than 

 the corolla, which is wrinkled, with ovate-acuminate segments. 

 It differs from the preceding, in having no warts or pentagon 

 ring to the corolla ; the branches from upright spreading; 

 and the colour of the corolla sulphureous, with bloody dots, 

 and a blood-red bottom. Native of Southern Africa, in dry 

 places, flowering in September and October. 



41. Stapelia Mixta. Branches four-cornered, ascending, 

 flowering at the base ; peduncles length of the corolla, 

 which is wrinkled, with a circular raised papillose bottom, 

 and ovate-acuminate segments : it is of a dusky violet colour, 

 wrinkled, with transverse yellow streaks, the bottom yellow, 

 with red papillae. This is so like the next species, that it 

 might be taken for a variety : but it differs in the form of the 

 toothlets on the branches ; in the size of the flower, which is 

 twice as large ; and in the colour, and especially in the form 

 of the nectary. Native of Southern Africa. 



42. Stapelia Variegata ; Variegated Slapelia. Branches 

 four-cornered, ascending, flowering at the base ; peduncles 

 longer than the corolla, which is wrinkled, with a circular, 

 concave, wrinkled bottom, and ovate-acute segments. It is 

 finely spotted with purple, and resembles the belly of a frog. 

 The flower, when blown, has an odour like that of rotten 

 cheese ; and the common fly frequently deposits its eggs 

 upon it. It flowers in June and July. Native of Southern 

 Africa, in the crevices of rocks. 



** Corolla ten-toothed. 



43. Stapelia Campanulata : Bell-shaped Stapelia. Branches 

 erect, four-cornered, flowering at the base ; peduncles three- 

 flowered ; segments of the corolla larger, lanceolate, with a 

 bell-shaped bottom. This is sufficiently distinct from the 

 following species ; the corolla being spotted, not only within, 

 but on the outside also : the bottom bell-shaped, and the 

 peduncle many-flowered. Native of Africa. 



44. Stapelia Barbata. Branches mostly four-cornered, 

 erect, flowering at the base ; peduncles shorter than the 

 corolla, which is bell-shaped, with the segments larger, lan- 

 ceolate, acuminate, rugged, clubbed", and bearded. Native 

 of Southern Africa. 



45. Stapelia Venusta. Stem four or five cornered, erect, 

 branched at top ; branches flowering at the base ; peduncles 

 longer than the corolla, bent down ; corolla smooth ; seg- 

 ments larger, ovate, acuminate ; bottom concave, surrounded 

 by an elevated ring. This differs from the rest, in having 

 the stem erect, branched at top, and the peduncles hanging 

 down. Native of Southern Africa. 



46. Stapelia Guttata. Branches somewhat spreading, and 

 four-cornered, flowering at the base ; peduncles length of the 



