Plate 51. 



GAZANIA SUBULATA. 



Cape Province. 



Compositae. Tribe Arctotideae. 

 Gazania, Gaertn. ; Benth. et Hook./. Gen. Plant vol. ii. p. 459. 



Gazania subulata, R. Br. in Ait. Hort. Keiv. ed. II. vol. v. p. 140 ; 

 Fl. Cap. vol. iii. p. 473. 



The native species of Gazania receive perhaps more atten- 

 tion from gardeners than other groups of South African 

 Compositae. This is due to their easy cultivation and the 

 brightness of their "flowers." The general names " Gous- 

 blom " and " Marigolds " are applied indiscriminately to 

 various species of Gazania, Arctotis and Dimorphotheca. 



Our plate was prepared from plants flowering at the 

 Division of Botany, Pretoria. The plant is acaulescent and 

 forms a compact clump about 2 feet in diameter. It flowers 

 freely and is easily propagated. We hope in future numbers 

 to illustrate all the better known kinds of " Gousblom," 

 especially some of the beautiful Namaqualand species. 



Our specimen bears out Harvey's statement that this 

 species and G. longiscapa are scarcely distinct, as it agrees 

 with G. subulata in having the peduncle pilose and with 

 G. longiscapa in the cartilaginous-ciliate leaves which are 

 glabrous on the mid-rib below. 



Specimens of the plant figured are preserved in the 

 National Herbarium, Pretoria (Herb. No. 1447). 



Desckiption : — An acaulescent plant. Leaves radical, crowded, 

 10-40 cm. long, 2-6 mm. broad, linear, subacute, with a 

 short spine at the apex, narrowed and channelled below and 

 sheathing at the base, dark green and glabrous above, white 

 tomentose beneath, except on the midrib, with the margins 

 spinulose-ciliate. Peduncle 24 cm. long, terete, hollow, pilose 

 on the uppermost third, with 1 or 2 bracts. Involucral scales 

 connate at the base ; tube 1 cm. long, 7 mm. in diameter, 

 glabrous, intruse at the base ; scales in three rows, 1—1-5 cm. 



