Plate 77. 



CROSSANDRA Gbeenstockii. 



Transvaal, Natal. 



ACANTHAOEAE. Tribe JUSTICIEAE. 



Oeossandra, Salisb. ; Benth et Hook.f. Gen. Plant, vol. ii. p. 1094. 



Crossandra Greenstockii, 8. Moore in Journ. Bot., 1880, p. 37 ; Fl. Gap. 



vol. v. sect. i. p. 37. 



This plant is of interest as being one of the many outliers 

 of the Tropical African flora in Southern Africa, and also 

 as showing a connection between the floras of Eastern India 

 and Tropical Africa. The genus Crossandra is represented by 

 about 15 species, most of which occur in Tropical Africa, and 

 one is recorded from India and the Malay States. The 

 species figured here occurs in the Nyasa Highlands, and 

 extends into Natal and the Transvaal as far south as Pretoria. 

 During the month of October the plant may be found in 

 flower in the neighbourhood of the Premier Mine, Pretoria, 

 and the bright scarlet flowers form a conspicuous feature 

 in the veld. Specimens have been recorded from various 

 localities in the Northern Transvaal. 



The fruits, as is so frequent in many species of Acanthaceae, 

 have an explosive mechanism, i.e. they burst suddenly into 

 two valves when wetted and scatter the seeds. The seeds, 

 of which there are four in each fruit, are tightly enveloped 

 with long hairs which straighten out and become mucilaginous 

 when wet, thus fixing the seed to the ground. 



Specimens are preserved in the National Herbarium, 

 Pretoria (Herb. No. 1494). 



Desceiption: — An acaulescent plant with underground 

 rootstocks. Stem short, glabrous. Leaves opposite, 5-11 cm. 

 long, 2 '2-5*2 cm. broad, obovate or elliptic, the narrower 

 leaves sometimes lanceolate, obtuse, narrowed at the base, 

 with the midrib and lateral veins prominent beneath, distinct 



