PLATE 381. 
Oocuna aTropurPuREA, D.C. (FI. Cap. Vol L, p. 448.) 
Natural Order, OcHNacea. 
A shrub reaching to 10 to 12 feet in height, irregularly much branched. 
Twigs with brown bark often thickly studded with small rough whitish pro- 
minences. Leaves alternate, petiolate, simple, exstipulate, oblong, narrow-oblong 
to ovate, obtuse at base and apex, margins closely serrulate; glabrous, glossy and 
dark green, mid-vein prominent, lateral ones numerous and fine; 1 to 23 inches 
long, $ to 1 inch wide; petiole $ to 2 lines. Flowers on short depauperated 
branchlets, solitary or 2-3 together. Calyx of 5 or 6 sepals, which are ovate, 
obtuse and veiny, at first pale green, spreading, in fruit accrescent and dull scarlet; 
the whole calyx in flower up to 9 lines diameter, in fruit reaching to 1} inch or 
more. Petals usually 5, but sometimes 6, 7, or more, inserted at the base of a 
fleshly torus ; oblong or subrotund, clawed; 6 to 8 lines long, 3 to 5 lines broad, 
yellow, soon deciduous. Stamens numerous, hypogynous, erect, nearly half as 
long as the petals; anthers linear, equalling the filaments in length, 2-celled, the 
cells opening by terminal pores. Torus hemispherical, light green, at maturity 
dull scarlet. Carpels 2 to 7 or fewer, 1-seeded; style longer than stamens, 
stigmas as many as carpels, minute. Drupes 1-seeded, purple when ripe. 
Habitat: Nata: Krauss; Gueinzius; Blinkwater, 3 to 4,000 feet alt; Wood, 
April; near Durban, August, Wood; Qudeni Forest, 6,000 feet alt, G. W. Davis ; 
108 (Government Herbarium, 8794). 
The genus Ochna includes about 25 species, natives of tropical Asia, and 
tropical and South Africa. In tropical Africa 9 species are found, one of which, 
O. pulchra is also found in ‘Transvaal. In South Africa we have two species only, 
the one here described and O. arborea, Burch., which is a tree reaching to 40 feet 
in height, and yielding a timber which is hard, heavy and close grained, and is 
used for many purposes, but O. atropurpwrea does not reach a sufficient size, and 
is usually too crooked in growth to be of any value. 
Fig. 1, Calyx; 2, petal; 3, stamen; 4, pistil; 5, calyx, receptacle and 5 
drupes; 6, cross section of drupe; fig. 5 natural size, remainder enlarged. 
