PLATE 361. 
HERMANNIA MALVAEFOLIA, N. E. Brown (Kew Bulletin, 1895, p. 24). 
Natural Order, STERCULIACE. 
A prostrate sparsely leafy plant, bearing yellow flowers, and stellate tomen- 
tose in all parts. Stems several, wiry, elongate terete, | to 2 feet or more long. 
Leaves alternate, petiolate, stipulate, distant, orbicular, finely crenate, cordate at 
base, stellate tomentose on both surfaces, 3 to 11 lines long and wide; petioles 2 
to 7 lines long; stipules ovate, acute, dark brown. [lowers solitary, opposite to 
the leaves, pedicels 2 to 34 lines long, bracteate in the middle, bracts clasping. 
Calyx campanulate, 5-fid to middle, teeth acute, erect, 1} line long, tube 15 line 
long. Corolla of 5 obovate petals, stellate-tomentose externally i in lower fortion.; 
their claws incurved. Stamens 45, included, opposite to the petals ; filaments 
flattened above, wider upwards, tuberculated above the middle, sparsely stellate 
tomentose ; anthers 2-celled, opening outwards, acuminate, finely ciliate. Ovary 
superior, subglobose, 5-celled, cells several ovuled; style elongate, glabrous; 
stigma obtuse. Capsule not seen. 
Habitat: Natau: On the Drakensberg, Bushman’s River, 6,000 to 7,000 feet 
alt., growing amongst dry grass, July, Evans, 55. 
Drawn from Evans’s 55. 
The only specimens in the Herbarium are not very complete, and have but 
few flowers, I have therefore had to rely on Mr. Brown’s measurements ; the 
largest leaf we have is only 6 to7 lines in diameter, but Mr. Brown gives the 
measurement as 3 to 11 lines. 
A note in the Kew Bulletin says: “ This is quite unlike any other species in 
the genus; the leaves resemble those of Malva rotundifolia, L., but are smaller, 
and not at all lobed. 
Fig. 1, flower; 2, calyx; 3, a petal; 4, a stamen; 5, pistil; 6, cross section 
of ovary ; all enlarged. 
