27 



PLATE 225. 



Beekhbta subulata, Harv. (Fl. Cap. Vol. 3, p. 507). 

 Natural Order, Composite. 



An erect undershrub 1-2 feet high, growing in clumps from a woody root, 

 and bearing large and handsome flower heads. Stems herbaceous, closely ribbed, 

 and leafy from base to apex, usually simple, densely pubescent, 1-headed. Leaves 

 scattered, linear or broadly linear, not decurrent on the stem, apex tipped with a 

 bristle 1-2 lines long, margins ciliate with similar bristles ; minutely pubes- 

 cent, and dark green above, beneath densely white tomentose on 

 the lamina, midrib subglabrous and prominent ; 2-3 inches long, 1-3 

 lines wide. Stipular bristles 1 or more on each side similar to those on the leaves. 

 Heads terminal, radiate, disk 1-1;^ inch in diameter, rays 1-1^ line long, flowers 

 yellow. Involucral scales in several series, linear, minutely puberulous, ciliate with 

 8-12 weak slender bristles on each side, and tipped with a similar bristle; 10-12 

 lines long including the terminal bristle, the lateral bristles 2-6 lines long. Ray 

 florets 5-6 veined, 4-toothed at apex, two outer teeth longest, disk florets tubular, 

 5-fid, the lobes dilated and furnished with a small yellow gland on outer surface 

 below the apex. Pappus scales linear-oblong, deeply incised at apex, minutely so 

 on margins ; silvery with minute hairs on outer surface ; twice as long as achenes. 

 Achenes densely white pilose. Receptacle honeycombed, margins of cells bristly. 



Habitat : Natal : Upper districts from 1,000 feet alt. upwards. Inanda, 1,800 

 feet alt. November, Wood No. 11 11 ; near Pinetown, and near Botha's Hill Wood. 



Drawn and described from Wood's specimens. 



This plant is not uncommon from near Pinetown upwards towards the 

 Drakensberg, and is one that is well worth cultivation. In the Flora Capensis the 

 leaves are described as glabrous, but in all our specimens they are as stated in the 

 text. The gland at apex of the corolla lobes of the disk florets is somewhat re- 

 markable and we have not noticed this peculiarity in any other species of the genus 

 that we have examined. 



Fig. 1, portion of involucre; 2, cell of receptacle; 8, ray floret; 4, disk floret; 

 5, lobe of corolla of disk floret ; 6, achene with pappus scales ; all enlarged. 



