PLATES 353, 354. 
Ipomoea Saundersiana, Baker (Fl. Cap. Vol. IV., p. 00). 
Natural Order, Convola'Ulageae, 
A strong climber with large leaves, milky sap and bearing pure white floAvers 
w^hich ai'e open all the day. Stems, young ones finely pubescent, older glabrous ; 
wide climbing. Leaves cordate, margins entire, glabrous above, pubescent on 
veins beneath : main veins very j^rominent Ijeneath and running from midrib to 
margin : reaching to »S or 10 inches long and Avide : petiole d to 7 inches long, 
minutely and sparsely pid^escent. Inflorescence of few flowered axillary cymes. 
Bracts 2, olilong-ovate, cusj^idate, minutely pidiescent externally and finely ciliate, 
deci(hious. Ihids oblong-acmuinale. Sepals 5, concave, broadly ovate, obtuse 
with a minute crisp, glalirous, 11 inch long and wide. Corolla fimuel-shapcd, 
margin entire but unequal, recurved ; 3} to 4 inches long and Avide, txihe sub- 
cylindrical. Stamens 5, on corolla tube at Imse, filaments Ijroad, concave and 
finely pubescent in loAver portion, sidndate and glabrous alxjve, half as long as 
corolla ; anthers 2-celled, spii-ally tAvisted. Style filiform ; stigma 2dol)ed, lobes 
subglobose. (3vary 2-celled, cells 2-ovuled. (Japsule globose, glaliroiis, to 1 
inch diameter, seeds su1)globose, Idack, very minutely pul)erulous ; 4 bncs 
diameter. 
Habitat: Not known witli certainty. In Bot. (lardens, I )ui'ban, ndt. Wood 
No. lbo5. 
Drawn and desci-il)cd Itou) a plant which flowered in Botanic < fardeus, 
Durban, June and July, IDUJ, the seed having lain dormant in tlie ground lor at 
least 17 years; the locality Avhere the plant was first collected is doubtful, luit it 
was understood that the original plant which HoAvered in the Hardens for the lirst 
time about 1(SS2, and died a year or tAvo afterwards, A^■as raised From seeds given to 
the former Curator l)y the late ^Irs. Saunders, and we understood that she had 
received them from the " interior of Africa." We have never met with the plant 
in a wild state in Natal. In the Flora Capensis it is stated that it is the oidy 
South African species lielonging to the Section Opercvlimim,, distinguislied by the 
"anthers being spirally t.Avisted, and the capsule having a lid which falls off 
wdien ripe." The i^lant has l)een under daily ol)servation during the flowering 
and fruiting season, and special notice has been taken of the ripening of the large 
capsules. After the corolhi and bracts have fallen aAvay the sepals close tightly 
and remain so h)r many days, then gradually opening and becoming dry ; it is 
then seen that the exterior portion of the upper half of the capsule (exocarp) has 
becojne quite detached and shrivelled, and has the remains of the style projecting 
through its centre, the remaining iipjjer portion of the capsule (endocarp) becom- 
ing thin, indistinctly veiny, and papery, so that the large l)lack seeds can be dimly 
seen, Avhile the lower half of the capside is thick, opaque and Avith strongly 
marked perpendicular veins, the upper portion finally breaking up and releasing 
the seeds. 
Plate oOo. Fig. 1, a bract; 2, a sepal ; o, a stamen; J, pistil; except figs. 
1 and 2, enlarged. 
Plate -354. Fig. 5, a leaf; (), loAver 2)ortion of corolla opened, showing inser- 
tion of the stamens ; 7, capsule and 3 sepals, the otiier two removed ; all about 
natural size. 
