Plate 38. 

 OEOTHAMNUS Zeyhbri. 



Cape Province. 



Proteaceae. Tribe Proteeae. 

 Orothamnus, Pappe; Benth. et Hook.f. vol. iii. p. 171 (under Mimetes). 



Orothamnus Zeyheri, Pappe in Bot. Mag. t. 4357 ; FL Gap. vol. v. sect 1, 



p. 650. 



This species is another vara avis of the Cape Flora. It was 

 figured for the first time in 1848 (Botanical Magazine t. 4357) from 

 a painting sent by Dr. Pappe to Kew. Carl Zeyher discovered 

 the species on the Hottentots Holland Mountains, and for 

 very many years afterwards it remained unknown to botanists 

 in the fresh state. Mr. E. J. Steer, of Cape Town, some years 

 ago purchased specimens from a coloured flower-seller and 

 photographed it, and this year (1920) it was met with more 

 than once exposed for sale among the wild flowers in Adderley 

 Street, Cape Town. Every effort of botanical collectors to 

 discover the locality in which the species grows has up to 

 now proved unsuccessful, and no information can be obtained 

 from the coloured flower-pickers. The plant has no local 

 name as far as we have been able to ascertain, and we propose 

 the name " Zeyher's Orothamnus " for this species. 



Our plate was made from a fresh specimen bought in 

 Cape Town by Mr. T. P. Stokoe. 



Description : — An erect shrub, 6-8 ft. high. Branches 

 pilose with long hairs. Leaves l-2£ in. long, f-lj in. broad, 

 slightly imbricate, obovate or oblanceolate-spathulate, with a 

 very obtuse blackish apex, slightly narrowing at the base, or 

 rarely the upper leaves attenuated, distinctly 5-6 nerved, 

 rigidly sub-coriaceous, densely ciliate when young, otherwise 

 glabrous or more or less scantily pilose. Heads sessile, 2-2 J in. 

 long, many-flowered. Involucral bracts petaloid, 4-5-seriate, 

 l|-2 in. long, 4-12 lin. broad, spathulate-oblong, rounded at 

 the apex, many-nerved, membranous, pilose, ciliate, rose-red, 

 the outermost densely shaggy-pilose. Perianth-tube 3 lin. long, 



