PLATE 535. 



Oelasteus buxifolius, L. (F1. Cap. Vol. I, p. 459.) 

 Natural Order Celastbine^. 



A glabrous thorny shrub, reaching to 10 or 12 feet in height. Stems and 

 branches terete, or a little angular, dark coloured; spines sharp reaching to 

 3 inches in length, occasionally bearing leaves, and sometimes flowers. Leaves 

 tufted, petiolate, usually obovate, ovate or oblong, obtuse or emarginate, tapering 

 to base, margins entire, serrulato-dentate or crenate, smooth, dark green and 

 shining, up to 3 inches long, 1^ inch wide including the petiole, but varying very 

 much in size and shape ; petiole 5- inch long. Inflorescence in axillary and terminal 

 many flowered panicles which are usually shorter than the leaves. Flowers white. 

 Calyx 5-parted, persistent, aestivation imbricate. Petals 5, inserted under the 

 margin of a fleshy cronate disk which clothes the calyx tube, oblong, spreading, 

 much longer than the calyx. Stamens f), alternate with the petals and equalling 

 them in length, inserted under margin of the disk, filaments subulate, anthers 

 ovate, i?-celled. Ovary deeply sunk in the disk 3-celled, cells 2-ovuled, ovules 

 erect. Style short, thick, stigma shortly 3-lobed. Fruit a capsule, 4-lines by 

 3-lines, 3-celled, two of the cells in our specimens usually abortive. 



Habitat: Natal: Near Stanger, 200 to 400 ft. alt., Government Herbarium 

 3433, (spines florifercus); Greytown, 40(i0 to 5000 ft. alt, April, Wood 8G23, 

 Inanda, 1800 ft. alt., Wood -19U May; Berea near Durban, 1-200 ft. alt., June, 

 Wood 11684. 



A very variable plant which is common from near Capetown to Zululand, it 

 is not of large size, but the wood is said by Fourcade to be "heavy, hard, strong, 

 tough, close grained, and suitable for tool handles, engraving, turnery, &c." It is, 

 however, not much used in Natal at any rate. Pappe says of it "wood resembling 

 boxwood, and fit for the manufacture of musical instruments, wood engraving, 

 and all purposes for which boxwood is commonly used. 



The tree from which the drawing was made and description written has 

 been under observation for about 3 months, with the object of having the seed 

 and also the manner of dehiscence of the capsule figured, a large number of the 

 fruits have been obtained during this time, many of which had apparently reached 

 their full size, every one of which had been pierced by minute insects, not a single 

 capsule remaining on the tree to come to maturity or perfect its seeds. 



Fig. 1 , a floret ; 2, calyx ; 3, a stamen ; 4, longitudinal section of ovary and 

 disk ; 5, cross section of same ; 6, portion of panicle with immature capsules ; 

 figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 enlarged; fig. 6 natural size. 



