12 



PLATE 260. 



M^RUA NERVOSA, Oliv. (Fl. Trop. Af. Vol. 1, p. 84). 

 Natural Order, Capparidbj;. 



A shrub with trifoliolate leaves and conspicuous flowers. Twigs terete, finely 

 pubescent or glabrous. Leaves alternate, petiolate, exstipulate, trifoliolate ; leaflets 

 petiolulate, ovate, ovato-oblong, or oblong lanceolate, entire, retuse, mucronulate, 

 glabrous, dark green, veins pinnate, conspicuous on both sides, prominent beneath, 

 and in our specimens looping near margins ; terminal one 1 to 3 inches long, ^ to 

 1^ inch wide, lateral similar but one-third smaller, all articulated to the petiole ; 

 petioles reaching to 1 inch long, channelled above, slightly swollen at base; 

 petiolules 1 to 2 lines long, channelled. Inflorescence in axillary and terminal 

 corymbose racemes, peduncles and pedicels articulated at base. Calyx gamose- 

 palous, lobes 4, oblong, concave, acute, green, glabrous, 3-veined, erecto-patent, 

 6 to 6 lines long, 2 to 3 lines wide, tube cylindrical, a little shorter than the ribbed 

 lobes. Bracts minute, deciduous. Petals 4, oblong, acute, inserted at summit of 

 calyx tube, yellow-green, 2 to 2^ lines long. Disk thin, lining the calyx tube, 4- 

 toothed at apex. Stamens many, inserted on the columnar torus (gynophore) ; 

 filaments filiform, white, f to 1 inch long; anthers small, 2-celled, basifixed, 2-lobed at 

 base. Gynophoi-e at length, 1 inch or more long, cylindrical, filiform. Ovary 

 oblong, 2-celled, cells several seeded ; stigma sessile, disciform. Seeds not seen. 



Habitat .- Natal : Coast districts. Near Durban, 100 feet alt. Wood No. 3182; 

 near Durban, July, 150 feet alt. Wood No. 8277. 



Drawn and described from "Wood's 8277. 



In the Flora Capensis Vol. 1, p. 60, this plant is described as Niebuhria tier- 

 vosa, Hochst, but it has since been removed to the genus Mserua, and in the Flora 

 of Tropical Africa, Vol. 1, p. 84 it is described as Maerua nervosa. The genus 

 Maerua includes about 15 species, 10 of which are found in Tropical Africa, and of 

 these two are also found in Natal. One species is found in Madagascar, the re- 

 mainder scattered in Africa and East Indies. 



Fig. 1, flower, longitudinal section ; 2, same of calyx showing lobed disk ; 3, 

 sepal ; 4, stamens, back and front view ; 5, portion of gynophore with ovary and 

 stigma; all enlarged. 



