Plate 64. 



gazania pygmaea. 



Transvaal. 



Compositae. Tribe Arctotideae. 

 Gazania, Gaertn. ; Benth. et Hooh.f. Gen. Plant, vol. ii. p. 459. 



Gazania pygmaea, Sond. in Linnaea, vol. xxiii. p. 69 ; Fl. Cap. vol. iii. p. 478. 



During the month of September the veld round Pretoria is 

 carpeted with the white flowers of this little Gazania. It is 

 one of the first, if not the first plant to flower on burnt veld, 

 and the contrast in colour between the white flowers and the 

 young green grass is very striking. While so extremely 

 common during the spring months, this species appears to be 

 little known botanically. It was evidently first collected by 

 the botanist Karl Zeyher on the Magaliesberg about the year 

 1841, and the description in the Flora Capensis based on 

 Zeyher' s specimen is the most recent published information 

 we have about this species. The plants are tufted, several 

 underground stems arising from a stout tap-root. 



The present plate was prepared from specimens collected 

 by Mr. D. Fouche on the outskirts of Pretoria. Specimens are 

 preserved in the National Herbarium, Pretoria. 



Description : — Acaulescent plants with several subterranean 

 stems from the apex of the deep tap-root. Leaves crowded, 

 radical, 2'5-6'5 cm. long, 3-5 mm. broad, linear, with an acute 

 callous at the apex, attenuated at the base, somewhat 

 channelled above, hispid on the upper surface, woolly-canescent 

 beneath except on the midrib, entire, spinulose-ciliate. Heads 

 many to each root. Peduncle about 3*5 cm. long, sparsely 

 woolly, especially beneath the involucre, or subglabrous. 

 Involucral-tube 7 mm. long, 6 mm. in diameter, turbinate ; 

 lobes in 4 rows ; outer lobes 6 mm. long, 1 mm. broad, linear, 

 obtuse, spinulose-ciliate ; inner lobes 4 mm. long, 2 mm. broad, 

 ovate, obtuse with reddish-brown membranous margins. Ray- 

 florets neuter, white with a purplish band beneath ; corolla 



