26 



PLATE 224. 



Beekheta debilis, MacOwan (Journ. Linn. Soc. Vol. xxv., p. 391). 

 Natural Order, Compositji. 



An erect plant with yellow flowers. Stems erect, herbaceous, weak, pubes- 

 cent. Radical leaves sub-rosulate, membranous, green above, finely albo-tomen- 

 tose beneath ; ovate-oblong, attenuate to base, deeply pinnatifid, lobes wide, 

 oblong, acute, irregularly sinuate, spinoso-mucronate at the angles, interspaces 

 wide, spinulous; 12-8 inches long; 4-5 inches wide. Stem leaves smaller, 

 cordate-amplexicaul, not decurrent, sinuate-pinnatifid, lobes distant, ascending, 

 acute, spiny, 6-8 inches long, 2J-3 inches wide. Inflorescence laxly corymbose. 

 Heads radiate, 6 lines wide; ray florets about 12. Involucral scales triangular 

 elongate, spinulous towards the base. Pappus scales acute, very short. Achenes 

 glabrous. 



Habitat : Natal : In damp woods near Byrnetown, 3,000 feet alt, May, Wood 

 No. 1902; Weenen County, 3-4,000 feet alt, Apiil, Wood No. 4476; in moist 

 shady ground. Upper Umkomaas, 2-3,000 feet alt, May, Wood No. 3158. 



Drawn from Wood's specimens. 



This species was also gathered by Tyson in East Griqualand, and was des- 

 cribed by Professor MacOwan fi^om Tyson's and Wood's specimens ; the author 

 says that it " must be near to B. sonchifolia (Stoboea, Harv. Fl. Cap. iii., p. 496) 

 though differing by the glabroup achenes and acute pappus scales as well as by 

 the deeply cut ascending leaf lobes." All the Natal specimens were gathered in 

 moist ground, and usually I think in light shade. 



Fig. 1, portion of involucre ; 2, portion of receptacle ; 3, ray floret; 4, disk 

 floret ; 5, style and stigmas ; 6, achene and pappus ; all enlarged. 



