PLATE 383. 
Prorornus LonarrouA, Engl. (Fl. Cap. Vol. L, p. 522, sub Rhus longifolia.) 
Natural Order, ANACARDIACER. 
A large dioecious tree reaching to 30 or 50 feet in height, with trunk up to 
3 feet in diameter. Bark reddish-grey, thin, even or cracked. Leaves alternate, 
simple, petiolate, exstipulate, linear-oblong to oblanceolate, quite entire and often 
undulate, tapering to the petiole, recurved and thickened at apex, sometimes 
emarginate, margins thickened and horny, mid-vein conspicuous on both surfaces, 
lateral ones numerous, up to 25 or more on each side; 3 to 6 inches long, $ to 14 
inch wide, quite glabrous, dark green and glossy above, paler beneath; petiole 
channelled above 32 to 12 inch long. Inflorescence puberulous, paniculate, the 
panicles many flowered, flowers yellow. Calyx gamosepalous, 5-6-lobed, 3 line long, 
tube short, lobes deltoid or oblong-deltoid, obtuse, erect. Bracts minute. Petals 
5-6, inserted outside the disk, greenish-white, sometimes with brownish tinge, 
ovate-oblong, obtuse, puberulous on outer surface; 14 line long. Stamens in 
male flower 5-6, inserted at base of disk, shorter than petals, filaments erect ; 
anthers 2-celled, introrse, in female flowers smaller, and without, or with very 
little pollen. Ovary seated on a yellow, fleshy, annular, disk, 1-celled, 1-seeded, 
abortive in the male flowers. Styles 3, very short, truncate, recurved. Drupe 
oblique-reniform, compressed, glabrous, sub-fleshy, purple, 3 lines long, 4 lines 
broad, the seed pendent from the wall of the cell near the apex, the seed-cord 
being adherent to the cell wall for more than half of its length. 
Habitat: Natau: Woods near Durban, common. 
This tree was figured and described in Vol. I. of this work, p. 69, as Rhus 
longifolia, the fact of the genus Protorhus having been established by Dr. Engler, 
being then unknown to us, and the drawing and description of Plate 383 was finished 
before the mistake was discovered. In the previous drawing the protuberances 
at the base of the petiole are figured rather too prominently, they vary much in 
size, and are often scarcely noticeable; also fig. 5 in plate 69 is a perpendicular, 
not a cross section of the fruit as stated in the text. Mr. Bazley says of the wood 
of this tree:—‘“ A very fair wood, stands well for beams and rafters, &c., if cut in 
winter, if cut in summer it soon decays. Stands best under cover.” 
Fig. 1, male flower; 2, calyx; 3, portion of corolla of male flower, showing 
stamens; 4, stamen, front view; 5, same, back view; 6, portion of corolla of 
female flower, showing abortive stamens; 7, pistil, 8, style and stigma; all 
enlarged. 
