18 



PLATE 266. 



Crassula EOS0LAEIS, Haw. (PI. Cap. Vol. 2, p. 350). 

 Natural Order, Crassulacb^. 



Herbaceous with flesliy leaves, and wliite flowers. Stem very short, clothed 

 ■with remains of the old leaves, sometimes branched at base. Leaves rosulate, sub- 

 radical, spreading, imbricate, oblong, obovate or spathulate, flat, acute or obtuse, 

 entire, thick, coriaceous, margins cartilagineous and ciliate with short, stiff spread- 

 ing or reversed white hairs ; 2 to 4 inches or more long, ^ to 1^ inch broad. 

 Peduncles scape-like, rising from centre of the rosette of leaves, with a pair of 

 opposite, oblong or linear depauperated leaves or bracts at each node ; 6 to 12 

 inches or more long. Inflorescence paniculate or thyrsoid, the lowest branches 

 much the longest, gradually shorter up'\\ard8, with a pair of small linear bracts at 

 each division of the inflorescence, the flowers pedicellate, white. Calyx 5-cleft, 

 oblong, ciliolate, its lobes erect, ^ line long. Corolla 5-lobed, the lobes connate at 

 base, obtuse at apex, entire, 1-| line long. Stamens 5, alternate with and shorter 

 than petals, free nearly to base ; filaments filiform, anthers oblong, 2-celled. 

 Squama minute, triangular. Carpels 6, oblong-acuminate. Styles short, stigmas 

 recurved. Follicles 5, several seeded. 



Habitat : Natal : Inanda, 1,800 feet alt, June, Wood No. 600 ; near Durban, 

 500 feet alt, July, Wood No. 8282. 



A rather pretty species which is not very common in Natal, it is found also in 

 several parts of Cape Colony. In the description of the plant in the Flora Capen- 

 sis the petals are said to be apiculate, but in our specimens they are as described 

 and figured. The plant is of no economic value and the natives have no distinctive 

 name for it. 



Fig. 1, flower 2, corolla opened, stamens in situ ; 3, stamens ; 4, flower^ 

 corolla and stamens removed ; all enlarged. 



