THE SOUTH AFRICAN GERBERAS. 



247 



Var. DISCOLOR, De Candolle Prod. vii. 17 (1838) ; C. H. SchuUz 

 in Flora, xxvii. 779 (1844). 



Syn. Arnica nudiflora, Thunberg ex Harvey, I.e. 

 Leaves white tomentose beneath. 



Hab. Coast Region, Uitenhage Div. ; Zuurebergen, TMmberg I 

 Drege. Wodehouse, Stormberg, Wolve Kop, Dec., Burke or Zeyher ! 

 Var. transvaalensis, Dummer, var. nov.* 



Crown of rootstock copiously and long white-silky, some of the 

 hairs nearly an inch long. Leaves narrower than the type and either 

 lanceolate or oblanceolate, subacute, 2J-5 inches long, -J-J inch 

 broad, covered all over with a dense long softly hirsute white or creamy 

 indumentum ; lateral nerves not obvious ; margin entire, densely 

 and closely hirsute-cihate. Florets pale pink, according to Galpin ; 

 pappus whitish. 



Kalahari Region. Transvaal. Grassy mountain-tops, 4500 

 feet. Moodies, near Barberton, Sept.-Oct. 1889, Galpin, 572 ! 



Gerberapiloselloides is the most widely distributed of all the Gerberas, 

 and extends from the extreme south-western part of Africa (Cape 

 Peninsula) along the coast eastwards and northwards to Abyssinia, 

 whence, crossing the Himalayas, it enters China, Hong Kong, and 

 Siam. Despite its extensive distribution the species has remained 

 remarkably stable, exhibiting but small variations considering the 

 range of its environment. It occurs also in Madagascar, where it is 

 known by the natives as " Toboka " ; and crosses the African continent 

 on the west to Angola. In tropical Africa it ascends up to 8000 feet, f 

 1000 feet higher than in Sikkim, where Hooker, Thompson, and 

 Wallich collected it. Superficially it is not unlike certain Hieracia, 

 and the small ray-florets vary from white to pink and yellow. It 

 was in cultivation in Miller's time, but was soon lost, and the small 

 size of its ray-florets does not commend it as a desirable garden plant. 



Gerbera ambigua, C. H. SchuUz in Flora, xxvii. 780 (1844) ; 

 Harvey in Harv. & Sond. Fl. Cap. iii. 522 (1865). 



Syn. Lasiopus ambiguus, Cassini Diet. Sc. xv. 299 (1820) ; 

 De Candolle Prod. vii. 18 (1838) ; E. Meyer in Drege 

 Zwei Pfl. Doc. 197 (1843). 

 Gerberia ambigua, Cassini, I.e. 



Lasiopus coriaceus, De Candolle Prod. I.e. 19, in part. 



G. coriacea, C. H. SchuUz, I.e. 780. 

 Leaves two to ten in a tuft, ascending, laxly spreading or prostrate, 

 borne on white-tomentellous ventrally grooved short petioles J-i inch 

 long, blade elliptic, obovate or oblong, invariably rounded (rarely 

 minutely apiculate or obsoletely emarginate), narrowing gradually 



* G. piloselloides var. transvaalensis Dummer. Typae persimilis sed foliis 

 angustioribus lanceolatis vel oblanceolatis utririque longe denseque albo-villosis 

 differt. Specimina (2) in Herb. Kew. 



t It also occurs in Uganda at elevations of 4000-5000 feet but is of rare 

 occurrence, usually flowering in the low grassland formations after fire. 



s 2 



