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BOTANICAL GAZETTE 



rare. At the time of my visit, the middle of January, 191 2, the 

 staminate cones had rotted or dried up, and the ovulate cones were 

 falling to pieces. The few seeds which were secured showed 

 embryos in early suspensor stages. 



In the Mtunzini bush, which is particularly dense and rich in 

 ferns, only a few plants of Stangeria were seen, but they were 

 vigorous, with three or four leaves about twice the size of those 

 in the open grass veldt. Not a single cone or seed was found in 

 the bush. It is said that baboons are very fond of the seeds and 

 carry them away as soon as the cones reach their full size. 



Associated with Stangeria in the Ngoye grass veldt is Encepha- 

 lartos brachyphyllus, a species with small cones and tuberous, 

 subterranean stems. I saw one tall specimen of E. Altensteinii bis- 

 pinosus, which is called also E. Woodii. It is said that there is not 

 another plant of this species within 50 miles. I did not see a 

 single specimen of any species of Encephalartos in the Ngoye 

 bush veldt. 



On the grass veldt at East London, Stangeria is not nearly so 

 large or so abundant as in Zululand, but its appearance is the 

 same, the leaves projecting a little above the. grass, so that most 

 of the plants within a distance of 100 m. can be seen. In this region 

 Stangeria is associated with Encephalartos Altensteinii and E. 

 villosus, while E. cycadifolius grows within a few miles. 



The stem of Stangeria is tuberous and entirely subterranean, 

 with a strong main root and weak branches. It grows in soil so 

 hard and stony that both care and labor must be given to secure 

 an uninjured specimen. The stem is quite smooth, the whole leaf 

 breaking off so cleanly that there is never any armor of leaf bases. 



Nearly all the plants dug up in the East London region showed 

 more or less branching, .a feature already noted by Pearson and 

 by Rattray. Occasionally the stem is simple, but usually it 

 bears 1-4 branches arising from the lower part of the stem, rarely 

 from the upper part. Often the stem and branches are so nearly 

 alike that it is difficult to distinguish which is the main stem and 

 which is the branch. Sometimes the branching condition is be- 

 trayed by the leaves, which may be too scattered to belong to a 

 single crown and too crowded to belong to different plants; but 



