19 



PLATE 242. 



Jatbopha natalensiS; Muell. Arg. (in Flora XL VII. (1864) 485.) 

 Natural Order, BuPHOftBiAOEj;. 



Stems few or many from a woody root, erect, sparingly branched, terete, 

 sparingly and finely pilose, red-brown ; 4 to 15 inches high. Leaves alternate, 

 stipulate, petiolate, simple or irregularly 1 to 4-or more lobed, the simple ones 

 lanceolate, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, the lobes (when present) oblong-acuminate, 

 widely spreading, the number, position, and size of the lobes varying on the same 

 stem, more frequently altogether absent, margins varying from subentire to 

 sharply and irregularly serrate, the conspicuous veins and veinlets having a few 

 pilose hairs on both surfaces ; petiole very short, ^^ to -| inch long, often very 

 villous, and swollen at base. Stipules of one oi;- several, small, deciduous bristles. 

 Inflorescence terminal, cymose, flowers monoecious, yellow. Peduncles ^ inch long, 

 hirsute ; pedicels hirsute, 1 to 2 lines long. Calyx 5-parted, lobes of calyx of 

 female flower acute, of male obtuse, and the whole calyx a little smaller than that 

 of the female. Bracts linear, glandular, hairy. Petals 5, free, ovate to oblong, 

 alternating with 5 fleshy glands. Stamens in male flower 10, central, filaments 

 united at base, the 3-5 central ones longest. Anthers ovate, 2-celled. Ovary 0. 

 Female flowers usually one in each cyme. Stamens 0. Ovary 3-celled, cells 1- 

 ovuled, ovule affixed to central angle of cell. Style short, stigmas 3, each 2-lobed. 

 Capsule 3-celled, 3-lobed, coriaceous, veiny. Seeds dark brown and shining, 

 carunculate. 



Habitat: Natal: Upper districts. Near Bstcourt 3-4,000 feet alt., January, 

 Wood No. 3391 ; near Ladysmith, 3-4,000 feet alt, November, Wood No. 7950. 



Drawn and described from the Ladysmith specimens. 



Of this genus three species are now known in Natal. /. hirsuta was figured 

 and described in Vol. I of this work, another species, J. Zeyheri, is found near 

 Ladysmith, and will be figured when good specimens can be obtained. The 

 species here described, and /. Zeyheri are remarkable for the peculiar cutting of 

 the leaves, sometimes they are quite entire, and scarcely serrate, sometimes with 

 one or more deep spreading lobes, and with or without similar but smaller ones, 

 sometimes almost trilobate, and at others the lobes are central or near the base of 

 the leaf, and frequently closely and sharply serrate, and all or nearly of these 

 forms may often be found on the same plant. 



Fig. 1, male flower; 2, stamens of same; 8, anther, back and side view; 4, 

 female flower ; 5, ovary style and stigma, back and front view ; all enlarged. 



