Contributions to the African Flora. 391 



H. OBDUCTUM Bolus, D. sp. (LepicUne § Aptera). 



H. foliis linearibics, cum ramis indumento duplici, superiore mem- 

 branaceo tela instar papyraceo intertexto argenteo polito undiciue 

 obdicctiSy inferiors breviter tojnentoso omnino abscondito ; capitulis 

 5-10, in corymbum confertis, subsessilibus, 26-^6 -floris. 



Fruticalus decumbens erectusve, pedalis vel ultra, pauci-ramosus ; 

 rami adscendentes, saepius simplices, interdum semel vel bifurcati, 

 plerique graciles, foliosi, cum foliis tela membranacea vel papyracea 

 arete intertexta argentea polita undique et fere omnino vestiti ; folia 

 sparsa sessilia, nullo modo decurrentia, conferta rarius sublaxa, 

 erecto-patentia vel erecto-recurva, ad 2 cm. longa, 0-3 cm. lata, 

 linearia sphacelato-apiculata, sub tela externa utrinque breviter 

 tomentosa, marginibus recurvis, nervo medio ssepe prominente ; 

 capitula campanulata subsessilia, 0*5 cm. longa, 0-4 cm. lata, in 

 corymbum 5-10-cephalum, 1-2 cm. latum conferta, foliis paucis 

 reductis tomentosis cincta ; involucri squamae circa 4-seriatae appressae 

 glabrae scariosae subhyalinae nitentes, circumscriptione subirregulari, 

 extimis saepius lanceolatis acutis brevioribus, interioribus oblongis 

 obtuse acutis vel obtusissimus, intimis flores aequantibus, apice 

 leviter inflexis, omnibus infra medium albidis vel cremeis, supra 

 dilute flavidis vel rarius subaureis ; receptaculi fimbrillae achaeniis 

 fere aequilongae ; flores homogami, 23-29, vel, in var. /3, 45 ; achaenia 

 glabra nigricantia, 0*1 cm. longa. 



Var. /3 laxior ; rami simpliciores, longiores, subvirgati ; folia laxiora, 

 angustiora ; corymbi 1-5-cephali ; involucri squamae nitentiores, 

 subaureae ; capitula ad 45-fl., 0*6-0'7 cm. longa. 



Hab. : Natal, Great Noodsberg, on rocks, approx. alt. 900 meters, 

 April, Wood, 869 ! 4130 ! 5292 ! Nkandha, 1,200-1,500 meters, id., 

 8843 ! Zululand, Umhlatusi, approx. alt. 300 meters, April, Wylie 

 (in herb. Natal), 8640 ! Var. /3 Transvaal, Devil's Kantoor, Drakens- 

 bergen, Sept., Bolus, 7806! Wood, 890 matches the last, on the 

 authority of Mr. N. E. Brown, of Kew, but I have not seen it. (All 

 the above are in herb. Kew.) 



The species is not very near any other of this section. The heads 

 somewhat resemble those of H. cephaloideum DC, but the involucral 

 scales are less yellow, and the plant in other respects quite different. 

 A notable mark is the curious double indument. The upper web-like 

 layer is like that of H. subglojueratum, which was pointed out by 

 Lessing and which, as he says, may be removed almost entire. But 

 besides and below that is a quite separate, and more ordinary cover- 

 ing of soft short hairs, the whole forming an effective protection 

 against excessive transpiration. This lower coating of hairs is 



