Plate 21. 



PACHYPODIUM succulent™. 



Cape Province. 



Apocynaceae. Tribe Echitideae. 

 Pachypodium, Lindl. ; Benth. et EooJc.f. Gen. Plant, vol. ii. p. 722. 



Pachypodium succulentum, DC, Prodr. vol. viii. p. 424 ; Fl. Gap. vol. iv. 



sect. 1, p. 517. 



Pachypodium tuberosum, Lindl., Bot. Reg. t. 1321. 



The species of Pachypodium figured in our illustration was 

 first described by the famous traveller, Carl Thunberg, in the 

 year 1794. Thunberg gathered his plants, on which he based 

 his description, between the Gouritz and Sundays Eiver. 

 The name he gave to the species was Echites succulenta. 

 Eobert Brown, in 1909, surmised that the plant placed by 

 Thunberg in the genus Echites would most likely constitute 

 a distinct genus, and in 1830 Lindley confirmed this, and 

 founded the genus Pachypodium upon, and gave an excellent 

 figure of, this species of Pachypodium in the Botanical Register ', 

 at t. 1321, but gave it a new specific name, which is omitted 

 from the Flora Capensis. 



Our present illustration was made from specimens growing 

 on the rockeries of the Division of Botany, Pretoria, which 

 were presented by Mr. Silvesta of Port Elizabeth. 



Desceiption : — Plants with a very large tuberous stem, 

 partly above ground, with several semi-succulent branches 

 arising from the upper portion of the tuber. Branches with a 

 waxy covering, glabrous or finely hairy when young. Leaves 

 in fascicles, 1-4 cm. long, 2-6 mm. broad, linear or linear- 

 lanceolate, obtuse, with recurved margins, green and pubescent 

 above, paler and tomentose below. Spines arising in groups of 

 2-3 from an evident cushion, the two lateral spines longer and 

 spreading, the medium spine shorter and erect, sometimes 

 absent. Flowers terminal. Calyx campanulate ; lobes narrowly 

 lanceolate, acute, densely pubescent. Corolla twisted in bud ; 

 1-1*5 cm. long, cylindric, pubescent * lobes 1*5 cm. long, 1 cm. 



