10 



PLATE 279. 



CHiiOEOPHTTXJM COMOSUM, Baker (Fl. Cap. Vol. 6, p. 400). 

 Natural Order, Liliace^, 



Herbaceous, erect. Root fibres cylindrical, thickened in the middle or 

 towards the extremity. Leaves 8 to 14, radical, linear, glabrous and shining, of 

 rather firm texture, and narrowed gradually to apex, narrowed and thickened to 

 the clasping and channelled base, 18 inches to 2 feet of more long, 1^ to If inch 

 wide in centre, midrib stout, rounded and prominent beneath, 12 to 15 nerved on 

 each side. Peduncle reaching to 4 feet in length, mcluding the inflorescence, in 

 our specimens sparingly branched, the lower branches 12 to 18 inches long, both 

 the peduncle and its branches bearing at their apices a tuft of 5 to 8 linear leaves, 

 which are from 2 to 4 inches long. Bracts linear or subulate, 1 inch or more 

 long. Pedicels slender, 4 to 5 lines long, articulated in the middle Perianth 

 6-parted, spreading to 9 lines diameter, white, outer segments narrower than the 

 inner ones, indistinctly and closely 3-nerved in centre. Stamens 6, two thirds as 

 long as the perianth segments, filaments white, anthers 2-celled, yellow. Ovary 

 superior, deeply 3-lobed, green, 3-celled, cells 7 to 9 seeded. Style linear, stigma 

 simple. Capsule not seen. 



Habitat: Natal: Inauda, 1,800 feet alt, February, Wood No. 842 (partly); 

 near Durban, January, 150 feet alt. Wood No. 8436. 



This genus, according to the Flora Capensis, includes 11 species natives of 

 South Africa, of which five are found in Natal, the remainder in Cape Colony, 

 Transvaal, and near Delagoa Bay, and since publication of that work one species 

 (G. Haygarthii, Wood ^ Evaiis) has been added to the list. There are many 

 species in Tropical Asia, and a few in Australia and South America, some of them 

 have been cultivated, but none are of special ornamental or economic value. On 

 reference to the Flora Capensis it will be setn that Wood's No. 842 was said to be 

 partly C. comnsum, and partly G. elatum, but the whole of these specimens were 

 gathered at the same time and close to each other, and on comparing the descrip- 

 tions with the plant here described, it will be found that it does not agree with 

 either of them, especially with regaid to the number of ovules in the cells. I 

 think that it is probable that this plant will eventually have to be placed a« 

 0. elatum, var comosum. The plant is really proliferous, propagating itself very 

 copiously by these " tufts of linear leaves " the weight of which bends the stem or 

 branch to the ground, where they readily take root, and the plant bears seed very 

 sparingly, the group of some dozens of plants from which the specimens were 

 taken for drawing and description was observed for several weeks, but not a 

 single capsule was found, and nearly if not quite all of the stems and branches of 

 the inflorescences were comose. These plants flowered again very prolusely in 

 March and April, but not a single capsule could be found. 



Leaf and branch of the inflorescence, about natural size, and whole plant very 

 much reduced. Fig. 1, flower; 2, a stamen; 8, ovary, style andatigma; all 

 enlarged. 



