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6 DR. J. D. HOOKER ON WELWITSCHIA. 
common about the lower course of the river Swakop (see Map of my work * Lake Ngami?). But I feel 
my description is very inadequate to the subject, and shall therefore endeavour to procure the plant itself, 
and forward it at an early date to England, where I trust it will arrive in sufficiently healthy condition to 
enable you to identify it satisfactorily. Indeed, I would have sent a specimen years ago, had I not been 
under the impression that you had already specimens of it; for I assisted a Mr. Wollaston once to exca- 
vate a couple, which I thought he purposed presenting to the Kew Gardens. I know that the specimens 
were received at the Botanical Garden at Cape Town; for I saw them there only the other day, pitched 
away among some rubbish. No one seemed to take the slightest notice of them, which rather surprised 
me, since the plant caunot well escape even the dullest eye, it is so singular. 
* [ remain, Sir, your obedient Servant, 
“CHAS. J. ANDERSSON.” 
Before proceeding to a detailed description of this plant, I have to record the great 
obligations I am under to Professor Oliver, who has taken equal interest with myself in 
its investigation, has verified most of my observations, has directed my attention to several 
important points which I might otherwise have overlooked, and who has made the greater 
part of the anatomical drawings contained in Plates XII., XIII., and XIV. But for his 
unremitting attention to my progress through some of the most minute and difficult 
points, and especially those connected with its embryogeny, confirming the views I had 
myself formed, I should have felt great diffidence in laying before this Society some of its 
most anomalous features. 
| WELWITSCHIA, gen. nov. 
Descr. Gen.—Dioica? Inflorescentia strobilacea. Strobili oblongo-cylindracei, 4-goni. Squame 70-90, 
arcte 4-fariam imbricatz, latissime ovato-orbiculatz, 1-flores, utrinque nervis 2-3 flabellatim ramosis 
aream hyalinam centralem enervem includentibus percursz. Flores in axillis squamarum coriacearum 
strobilorum parvorum siti, sessiles, compressi. FL. nERMaAPm. Perianthium 4-phyllum : foliola 
membranacea; 2 exteriora lateralia, falcata, anguste spathulata, acuta, dorso carinata v. subalata; 2 
interiora late obovato-spathulata, unguibus in tubum compressum connatis, imbricata. Stamina 6, 
filamentis crassis cylindricis subulatis basi in tubum crassum connatis, post anthesin geniculatim 
reflexis, zstivatione inflexis ; anthere capitate, obtuse 3-gon:e, 3-loculares, vertice rima 3-cruri dehi- 
scentes ; pollen simplex, ellipsoideum. Carpellum 0. Ovulum in centro floris, solitarium, compressum, 
ovoideum, lata basi sessile ; integumentum simplex, calyptrzforme, apice in tubum tortum cylindricum 
styliformem disco papilloso stigmatiformi terminatum desinens; nucleus conicus, ima basi 2 nervis, 
sacculo embryonali 0. FL. Fam. Perianthium: utriculus simplex, hyalinus, compressus, 2-alatus, 
post anthesin ampliatus. Ovulum solitarium, ut in flore hermaphrodito, processu tamen integumenti 
stricto apice lacero non dilatato, et nucleo sacculo embryonali (endospermio repleto) donato. 
Fructus siccus, e perianthio ampliato (pericarpio) orbiculari medio semen nudum fovente conflatus. 
Pericarpium orbiculare, basi subcordatum v. breviter stipitatum ; pars centralis obovoidea, cava, 
coriacea, ala latissima hyalina eleganter undulata circumdata; loculus superne in canalem tenuem 
alam percurrentem et processum styliformem integumenti exsertum foventem productus. Semen 
erectum, obovoideum, compressum, sessile, ad apicem calyptra membranacea (integumento ovuli) 
in processum styliformem producta terminatum ; testa (nuclei parietes) carnosula, utrinque ad latera 
1-2 nervis, apice in conum carnosum desinens; albumen obovoideum, densum, superne in collum 
carnosum annulare constrictum. Embryo in cavitate albuminis receptus, elongatus; cotyledones 
paro planiusculæ, compressæ; plumula 0: radicula teretiuscula, v. medio paulo incrassata, extre- 
mitate radiculari incrassata, carnosa, abrupte in filum suspensorem longissimum tortum desinente. 
