21 



PLATE 269. 



Helightsum Keaussii, Sch. Bip. (Fl. Cap. Vol. 3, p. 249). 

 Natural Order, CojipositvE. 



A much branched undershrub, with yellow flowers, 1 to 3 feet high. Stem 

 terete, marked with scars of fallen leaves ; branches virgate, suberect, thinly canous, 

 leafy in upper portion. Leaves scattered, sessile, linear or oblanceolate, spreading, 

 at length recurved or reflexed, mucronate, margins strongly revolute, midrib pro- 

 minent beneath ; glabrous above, tomentose beneath ; 4 to 9 lines long ; ^ to 1 line 

 wide. Inflorescence of many usually flat topped cymes which are frequently much 

 branched. Involucre cylindrical, scales imbricate in several rows, erect, glossy, 

 scarious, closely appressed, pale yellow. Heads 1-| to 2 lines long, each containing 

 5 florets, of which four are perfect and one female. Receptacle honeycombed. 

 Corolla of perfect florets tubular, 5-toothed at apex, swollen from centre to apex ; 

 of female florets similar, but scarcely swollen ; all minutely glandular at apex. 

 Pappus in one row, of many scabrous bristles. Anthers sagittate at base. Style 

 slender, bulbous at base, seated on a minute annular disk ; branches truncate, 

 Achenes glabrous. 



Habitat: Natal: Coast districts. Near Durban, August and September, 150 

 feet alt., Wood No. 8312. 



This plant appears to be confined to the coast districts, and usually if not 

 always near the sea coast, where in sandy soil and amongst low shrubs it abounds ; 

 it has no economic value, nor so far as we are aware any popular or native name. 

 The globose bulbous base of the style, though microscopic is worthy of notice. 



Fig. 1, flower head ; 2, involucral scale ; 3, perfect floret ; 4, staminal floret ; 

 5, stamens; 6, ovary, style and stigma; all enlarged. 



