PLATE 301. 
CYNANCHUM (VINCETOXICUM) NaTALITIUM, Schlecht (Engl. Bot. Jahrb. XVIII. 4, 
No. 45). 
Natural Order, ASCLEPIADBAE. 
A chmber with green and white flowers. Stems glabrous, younger minutely 
pubescent, terete, wide climbing. Leaves opposite, petiolate, exstipulate, ovate to 
oblong, entire, mucronulate, glabrous, somewhat fleshy, dark green above, pale 
beneath, reaching to 24 inches long, 13 inch wide; petioles 1 to 14 inch long, often 
curved. Inflorescence in axillary umbels each with 4 to 8 flowers, peduncles 
equalling the petioles, pedicels slender, 3—5 lines long, bracteate at base, bracts 
minute, triangular. Calyx, gamosepalous, 5-lobed, lobes triangular, acute, much 
longer than corolla, margins membrarous. Corolla gamopetalous, rotate, 5-cleft 
almost to base, lobes oblong to oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, 2 to 3 lines long, 4 to 2 
line wide, dull green. Corona tubular, contracted at apex, shortly 5-lobed, lobes 
truncate with inflexed margins, the whole corona 2 lines long. Gynostege much 
shorter than corona, anthers short, with membranous apices and incised margins. 
Pollinia oblong, compressed, caudicles short, inserted at the base of the oblong 
obtuse glands. Stigma 5-angled. Follicles oblong-acuminate, 3-winged, 2 to 24 
inches long, + to 1 inch wide, on a strongly curved peduncle. 
Habitat : Natau: Coast districts, near the sea. Schlechter, 3082; Bluff 250 
feet alt., July, Wood, No. 5387. 
Drawn and described from specimens gathered near Durban, August, 1902. 
This plant has hitherto been confused with C. crassifolium, with which in general 
appearance it quite agrees, but Schlechter says in a note to his description of the 
species ;—“I first considered this plant to be a cross between C. crassifolium 
(L. £.) and C. capense (E. M.), Schlechter, but on further examination I altered my 
opinion, as I found that the anthers and pollimia were quite different from either.” 
We find also that the corona lobes differ from those of C. crassifolium, which are 
lanceolate, while ir C. natalitium they are as stated in the text. Mr. Schlechter 
also says that C. iatalitium is the only ew species of Cynanchum that has been 
collected since Drege’s time. It is ‘airly cou.mon in the coast bush. 
Fig. 1, a flower; 2, calyx; 8, staminal column and stigma, one stanen 
removed, showing carpels; 4, anther; 5, pollinia; all enlarged ; 6, follicle, natural 
size, 
