Plant 'Life 



5 



long names of plants are not so formidable either, when stripped 

 of their Latin endings. Thus, MacOwaniana pays tribute to 

 one of South Africa's esteemed botanists, Dr. MacOwan ; and 

 how better could our world-wide authority on orchids be 

 honoured than by naming a new Disperis, Bolusiana ? The 

 paired leaf of Bauhinia reminds us of the twins, Bauhin, 

 who long ago devoted themselves to Botany. When we have 



FIG. 5. " Wonderboom " near Pretoria. 



found the two forms of fruit on one head of flowers, Dimor- 

 photheca (two-formed capsule) seems a most appropriate name, 

 and once having seen the little crown of pappus hidden among 

 the long hairs of the ovary, we shall never forget Cryptostemma, 

 which means " hidden crown ". If you have not studied Latin 

 or Greek, ask help from your brothers and sisters who are in 

 college. To speak of plants and their parts, we must have 

 names, and the reader may skip any name in this book longer 

 than Hermanuspetrusfontein. 



