PLATE 553. 



Paohtoabpus scabeb, N. E. Brown. (Fl. Cap. Vol. 4, Sec. I, p. 719.) 

 Natural Order, Asolepiadbji. 



Stem 1-2 feet high, 2-4 lines thick, terete, light green, purplish at base, scabrous 

 with thickly scattered raised points. Leaves opposite, decussate, exstipulate, 

 shortly petiolate, 2-4 inches long, ^-2^ inches broad, oblong, elliptic oblong or 

 elliptic ovate, acute, equally rounded at base, scabrous on both surfaces, but more 

 so on the lower surface, margins quite entire, very scabrous, midrib thickened and 

 prominent beneath, lateral veins very conspicuous on both surfaces, petiole ^ inch 

 long thickened. Inflorescence of 1-4 umbels subcorymbose in upper portion of the 

 stem, 5-8 flowered, peduncles ^-1:^ inch long, pedicels reaching t') 1 inch in length, 

 more or less scabrous like the leaves ; bracts }; inch long, dark brown, linear-subu- 

 late, very fugacious. Sepals 5, one third inch long, 2i-2-^ lines broad, ovate, acute, 

 scabrous, the keel thickened and prominent beneath. Corolla 5-lobed, the lobes 

 reflexed, spreading, glabrous, 5 lines by 3 lines, acute and very minutely notched 

 at apex, creamy white (in all our specimens). Corona-lobes arising at the base of 

 the staminal column, 4-5 lines long, creamy white " dilated into two deltoid rounded 

 auricles or transversely rhomboid at the horizontally spreading base, which 

 is concave beneath, then abruptly contracted into a linear or linear spathulate 

 blade ^-1 line broad and subacute, obtuse, emarginate, or more or less 3-lobed or 

 3-toothed at the apex, channelled down the back, convex or keeled down the inner 

 face and abruptly incurved over the style apex, with 2 erect contiguous keels 1-1^ 

 line high and broad on the basal part, straight on the inner, rounded on the dorsal 

 margin, obtuse. Staminal column 2 lines long, anther apendages orbicular reni- 

 form, very obtuse, inflexed on the rim of the depressed style-apex." Follicles not 

 seen by us, but said in Mr. Brown's description to be " solitary, about 3^ inches 

 long, 1| inches thick, ovoid, obtuse, more or less winged at the upper part, coria- 

 ceous, glabrous." 



Habitat ; Natal: Inanda 1,800 feet alt. Wood 468; Reit Vley in Eerb. Galpin 

 2745; Umkomaas Valley, Kro 'h (ex Schlechter) ; Zululand, Qerrard, 1285; TJmlaas 

 2,000 alt.. Miss Franks {Wood 11716.) 



This plant has until lately been known as Oomphocarpus scaber, Harv., and 

 was figured and described under that name in Harvey's Thesaurus Capensis, but 

 in the revision of the South African species of the Order the genus Gomphocarpus 

 has been discarded and the members distributed amongst other genera. Pachy- 

 carpus scaber is not uncommon in Natal, especially in the^midlands. There appears 

 to be some difficulty as to the colour of the flowers, which, according to Dr. Bolus, 

 are said to be yellow. We have often inet with the plant, and have always found 

 the colour of the flowers to be as stated, creamy white. The latter part of the 

 description here given has been copied verbatim from Mr. Brown's excellent de- 

 scription in the Mora Capensis, after comparison with our own specimens, as also 

 the latter part of the description of Woodia No. 554. Of neither of these species 

 have we seen the follicles. ^ 



Fig. 1, calyx; 2, corona and staminal column; 3, coronal lobe; 4, staminal 

 column ; 5, pollen masses ; 6, pistil ; all enlwrged. 



