PLATE 515. 



Balbohampia oapbnsis, Sprbno, f. (Tent. Syst. Veg. 18.) 

 Natural Order, Euphorbiaob^. 



A t-wining plant bearing yellow-green flowers. Stem scandent several feet in 

 length and much branched, stems and branches minutely piloso-pubescent, terete, 

 green, striate. Leaves alternate, petiolate, stipulate, 3-5-foliolate, the uppermost 

 lobe much the largest and free for nearly the whole of its length, entire, elliptic- 

 ovate, acute, the two lateral lobes similar, but smaller, usually lobed in lower 

 portion, but varying much in depth of cutting, sometimes the two lowest lobes 

 quite absent; minutely pubescent on both surfaces; 4 inches long by 5 1- inches 

 wide ; petiole 2 to 3^ inches long, thickened at base, piloso-pubescent ; stipules 2, 

 oblong, acute, reflexed, 2 to 4 lines loDg, 1 line broad. Inflorescence monoecious, 

 on short axillary branchlets, the branchlet bearing a single leaf at its apex, and 

 one or two peduncles, each bearing at their apices two opposite leafy veiny light 

 green bracts, forming an involucre which is broadly ovate in general outline, finely 

 serrate, and deeply 3-cleft at apex, the lobes triangular, acute, minutely pubescent. 

 Male flowers, perianth, 4-6-parted, valvate in bud ; stamens numerous, filaments 

 connate in a column for the greater part of their length ; anthers 2-celled, cells 

 parallel, opening longitudinally; ovary 0. Female flowers, perianth, 8-1 2-parted, 

 lobes linear, pinnatifid, enlarging in fruit, clothed with numerous irritant 

 deciduous hairs. Ovary 3-celled, cells 1 -ovuled ; style elongate, obtuse at apex. 

 Capsule deeply 3-lobed, 2-valved, lobes subglobose, seeds hard, globose. 



Habitat: Natal: Inanda 1800 feet. Wood 596, June; near Bellair, Wood 

 11066, January. Not uncommon at edges of woods in coast districts. 



This genus contains about 60 species, most of which are American ; in South 

 Africa we have three species, but so far as known to us, the one here described is 

 the only one hitherto found in Natal ; a species has been called D. natalensis, but 

 I have no further information about it. One species D. Roezliana is not uncommon 

 in cultivation on account of its bracts being of a rosy colour, and of this there is a 

 variety with white bracts. The genus is named in honour of James Dalechamp a 

 French Physican who lived from 1513 to 1588. Our plant is frequently but very 

 incorrectly called " Wild Hop ; " the hairs on the calyx of the female flowers are 

 irritant. 



Fig. 1, Inflorescence, involucre removed; 2, male flower; 3, a stamen; 4, 

 female flowers and bracts; 5, same, one bract removed; 6, female, flpvver ; 7, 

 pistil; 8, cross section of ovary; 9, capsules with enlarged perianth lobes, one 

 bract removed; 10, capsule; 11, lobe of enlarged perianth; _fig. 9, natural size; 

 remainder vmiously emla/rged. 



