Plate 34. 

 WITSENIA mauea. 



Cape Province. 



Iridaceae. Tribe Sisyeinchieae. 

 Witsenia, Thurib.; Benth. et HooTc.f. Gen. Plant, vol. iii. p. 701. 



Witsenia maura, Thunb. Nov. Gen. pi. p. 34 ; Ft Gap. vol vi. p. 46. 



This interesting plant, the only species known in the 

 genus, was first found by Dr. Carl Thunberg at Noordhoek and 

 False Bay on the Cape Peninsula and described by him in 

 1782. It appears to be confined to damp habitats in the 

 Cape Province, and has been found by the late Dr. Bolus 

 at Houw Hoek in Caledon Division. It has also been 

 recorded from the Tradouw Mountains in Swellendam Division, 

 and this year (1920) Mr. T. P. Stokoe has discovered the 

 plant on the Klein Eiver Mountains near Caledon. It is a 

 rare species and would only interest enthusiastic cultivators 

 on account of its rarity. 



We are indebted to Mr. Stokoe for the living specimens 

 from which this plate was prepared. The plant is known 

 locally as " Waaiertje." 



Description : — Stems woody. Leaves distichous, about 18 cm. 

 long, 5-7 mm. broad, linear, tapering to an acute point, amplexi- 

 caul, glabrous. Flowers in terminal heads. Bracts 4*5 cm. long, 

 boat-shaped, shorter than the flowers. Perianth-tube 2- 7 cm. 

 long, brown below, becoming blue-black above; lobes 1*4 cm. 

 long, 5'5 mm. broad, ovate-lanceolate, obtuse, densely 

 tomentose with yellow hairs outside, glabrous within, with a 

 tuft of yellow hairs at the apex of the inner segments and 

 marginal hairs round the apex of the outer segments. 

 Stamens inserted near the throat of the perianth-tube ; 

 filaments 5 mm. long, linear and slightly dilated at the base ; 

 anthers 6 mm. long, linear. Ovary small ; style 4 cm. long, 

 slightly bifid at the apex. 



Plate 34.— Fig. 1, plant natural size ; Fig. 2, unopened flower ; Fig. 3, 

 lobes of perianth ; Figs. 4 and 5, stamens ; Fig. 6, ovary and style ; Fig. 7, tip 

 of style, showing the three stigmas. 



F.P.S.A., 1921. 



