PLATE 506. 



SoHizoGLOSSUM TUBULOSTJM, SoHLTB. (FL Capensis Vol. IV, p. 636.) 

 Natural Order, Asolbpiade^. 



Bulb, small, ovoid, (not seen by us) Stem solitary, simple, (or in one of our 

 specimens branched, 2^ inches below apex) 12 to 27 inches high, puberulous, 

 internodes, |- to I ;^ inch long. Leaves erect, ^ to i^ inch long, ^ to f line broad, 

 linear, acute, margins revolute, puberulous above and on the midrib beneath. 

 Umbels 5 to 9, sessile at the upper nodes, 1 to 7-fl.o'wered, pedicels 1^ to 2 lines 

 long, thinly and appressedly puberulous. 6epals 1^ line long, | line broad, ovate- 

 lanceolate, acute, pubescent. Corolla campanulate, greenish ; tube Ij^ to 1^- line 

 long, glabrous ; lobes erectly spreading, 2 lines long, i to i;^ broad at base, ovate- 

 oblong to ovate-lanceolate, acute, margins reiiexed, thinly pubescent on the back, 

 puberulous from base to apex (in our specimens). Corona lobes twice as long as 

 staminal column, the basal portion sub-quadrate, f line long, about 1 line broad 

 at the top, slightly narrowed below, with an appendage and two parallel keels on 

 the inner face, abruptly narrowed or contracted at the top into an erect subulate 

 point, 1 line long, with the lateral angles or shoulders square or very slightly 

 projecting horizontally ; appendage arising at the base of the point, nearly i line 

 long, linear-subulate, very acute, curved over the staminal column, the minute 

 teeth alternating with bases of corona lobes, very short, obtusely rounded. 

 Staminal column f line long ; anther appendages broadly ovate, subacute, with 

 their tips inflexed over the raised rim of the subtruncate or slightly depressed 

 style-apex. Follicle lanceolate, tapering to a long subacute beak, if inch long, 

 minutely and softly puberulous. 



Habitat: Natal: Attercliffe near Durban, 800 ft. alt. iSawdersora 449, partly; 

 Inanda 1800 ft. alt. Wood 740, December; near Newcastle 4200 ft. alt., Schlechter 

 3410; Zululand 500 to 800 ft. alt., December, Wylie {Wood 10686). 



According to the Flora Capensis this genus includes about 120 species, of 

 which 87 are South African, 40 of which have been collected in Natal, the 

 remainder are Tropical African, the genus is rather a difficult one as the species 

 in many instances are very similar to each other in general appearance, Mr. N. B, 

 Brown who has worked out the whole of them for the Floras of South and Tropical 

 Africa says, " It is frequently scarcely possible to name a species by comparison 

 without first dissecting the flowers " since " the external appearance of the stem 

 leaves and flowers is often alike in a whole group of species, while the structure 

 of their corona-lobes, and often the staminal column is entirely different." The 

 genus is, however, a very interesting one and we have thought it advisable to 

 illustrate a few, so as to show some of the differences in the structure of the 

 flowers. All of the species have a milky sap, and none of them are of any 

 economic value. 



Fig. 1, flower; 2, corona; 3, a corona lobe; 4, staminal columu; 5, pollinia; 

 6, ovaries and style-apex ; all enla/rg^d. 



