Plate 47. 



KNIPHOFIA alooides. 



Cape Province, Orange Free State, Transvaal, Basutoland, Natal. 



Liliacbab. Tribe Hemerocalleae. 

 Kniphopia, Moench.; Benth. et Hoolc.f. Gen. Plant, vol. iii. p. 775. 



Kniphofia alooides, Moench. Meth. 632 ; Fl. Cay. vol. vi. p. 283. Tritoma 

 Uvaria, Oaiul. in Bot. Mag. t. 758; Kniphofia Uvaria, Hoolc. Bot. Mag. 

 t. 4816. 



We may perhaps be excused for figuring this species, 

 which has appeared as a plate more than once in Curtis's 

 Botanical Magazine. It is, however, still such a favourite with 

 cultivators that it is deemed worthy of a figure in a South 

 African publication. Like other of our native plants it was 

 known in European gardens many years ago, and is recorded 

 as having flowered at Kew Gardens in 1707. As a cultivated 

 plant it was known under the name of Tritoma Uvaria, which 

 was later changed to Kniphojia Uvaria. It was also described 

 by Linnaeus about the year 1735 as an Aloe. Specimens of 

 the plant in cultivation may be seen in many South African 

 gardens. It is the most robust and most variable species of 

 the genus. In the coastal districts of Natal two varieties, 

 nobilis and maxima, are found, but our figure and description 

 apply to the typical form. The common name is the 

 " Bed-hot poker." The natives of Natal know the plant as 

 "i-Cacane." 



The plate was drawn from a specimen collected near 

 Durban in July, 1914. 



Description f — A perennial stemless plant with radical 

 leaves, and long naked peduncles, bearing a short spike of 

 flowers at their apices. Bootstock thickened, not tuberous. 

 Leaves 30-45 cm. long, 1-5-1 *8 cm. broad low down, strap- 

 shaped, acuminate, sheathing at the base, green, strongly and 

 acutely keeled, with smooth margins. Peduncle a little shorter 

 than the leaves, terete. Inflorescence 5 cm. long, dense, more 

 or less cylindric. Bracts 0-3-1-2 cm. long, 3-6 mm. broad, 

 ovate, obtuse or acute. Perianth-tube 3-4 cm. long, 5 mm. in 



