17 



PLATE 215. 



Vangiibbia LATiiPOLiA, Sond. (in Fl. Cap. Vol. 3, p. 15). 

 Natural Order, Rubiaceji. 



An erect underslirub with green flowers. Stems erect from a woody root, 

 sparingly branched, terete or subcompressed at nodes, bark brown, rough with 

 small prominences, finely hirsute, older subglabrous; 1-2 feet high. Leaves oppo- 

 site, petiolate, stipulate, broadly ovate or oblong, obtuse at apex, rounded at base, 

 entire, glabrous, reaching to 3^ inches long, by 3|- wide, dark green above, paler 

 beneath, veins conspicuous on both surfaces ; petiole 1-2 lines long. Stipules 

 cuspidate from a broad rounded base, a little longer than the petiole. Peduncles 

 axillary, 3-4 flowered, sometimes with two peduncles in the same axil, pedicels 

 very short. Bracts linear, minute Calyx g-amosepalous, glabrous, tube globose, 

 1-1-| line long, limb 5-parted, lobes linear, 2|-3J lines long; spreading. Corolla 

 gamopetalous, tube barrel-shaped, 2 lines long, lobes 5, at length reflexed, ovate- 

 acuminate, cucuUate at apex, a little longer than tube, glabrous externally, inter- 

 nally with a circle of pilose white hairs in throat. Stamens 5, at throat of corolla 

 alternate with its lobes, filaments yerj short, anthers 2-celled, oblong, acute. 

 Style 1 ; stigma cylindrical, thick, minutely lobed at apex, deeply intruse at base. 

 Ovary inferior, 5-celled, 1-2-3 of the cells frequently abortive. Fruit a drupe 

 crowned by remains of the calyx lobes, globose, 1-2 inches diameter, 1-3 seeded 

 by abortion. Seeds compressed, bony, 5-6 lines long, by 4-5 lines wide. 



Habitat: Natal: Coast and midlands. Oueinzms 115; Williamson; Wood 

 395 ; Government Herbarium 761. 



Drawn and described from specimens gathered near Durban, February, 1900, 



The genus Vangueria includes some oO species, natives of tropical countries, 

 in Natal we have 7 or 8 species, one of which, V lasiantha, was figured in Vol. 1, 

 plate 46. In tropical Africa there are about 12 species only one of which is also 

 found in Natal. The fruit of the above described species is eaten by natives and 

 children, and is known by the natives as ukaba-ka-umtwaan. 



Fig. 1, a flower; 2, corolla opened out; 8, stamen; 4, calyx with two lobes 

 removed, showing pistil ; 5, seed, side and front view ; all enlarged. 



