Plate 24. 



ACOKANTHERA spectabilis. 



Cape Province, Natal. 



Apocynaceae. Tribe Caeisseae. 

 Aookantheea, G. Don. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant, vol. ii. p. 696. 



Aookanthera spectabilis, Hook. f. Bot. Mag. t. 6359 ; Fl. Gap. vol. 4, 



sect. 1, p. 501. 



The above figure in the Botanical Magazine was published 

 in 1878, and together with the description which accompanied 

 it was the first recognition that the so-called " Gift Boom" of 

 the Eastern Province consisted of two distinct species. The 

 plant from which the figure in the Botanical Magazine was 

 made, flowered at Kew Gardens in 1878. Mr. T. R. Sim 

 states that he cannot distinguish A. spectabilis, Hook, from 

 A. venenata, G. Don., but regards it as an eastern coastal form. 

 The plant is reputed to be extremely poisonous, and as the 

 fruits are so attractive-looking, it makes the species also a 

 dangerous one. In habit our plant is an evergreen shrub 

 which lends itself to cultivation in the shrubbery ; the flowers 

 are very fragrant, and even in fruit the shrub does not lose 

 its beauty, as the dark purple fruits show up conspicuously 

 against the green leaves. The specimen figured here was 

 presented by Mr. J. W. Wickens from the Garden of the 

 Union Buildings, Pretoria. 



Desckiption : — Shrub 4-10 ft. high. Branches glabrous. 

 Leaves shortly petioled ; petioles 6 mm. long ; lamina 7-10 cm. 

 long, 2*2-4 cm. broad, elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, shortly 

 acuminate, acute, narrowed at the base, glabrous, with the 

 mid-rib distinct below and sunken above. Flowers in many- 

 flowered clusters. Calyx 5-lobed almost to the base, pubescent. 

 Corolla-tube 2 cm. long, narrowly cylindric, pubescent outside, 

 hairy within at the throat ; lobes 4 mm. long, 3 mm. broad, 

 elliptic, rounded at the apex. Anthers ovate in outline, with 

 a few hairs at the apex. Style 1*4 mm. long, cylindric; 

 stigma subglobose, with a few hairs at the apex. 



