PLATE 370. 
Striga Thunbebgii, Benth. (Fl. Cap. Vol. IV. p. 380.) 
Natural Order, Scrophulariace^. 
An erect herbaceous plant with flowers varying from pale lilac to almost 
white on different plants, the whole plant light green in colour. Stems simple or 
often branched, reaching to 1 foot or 18 inches in height, deeply furrowed, flori- 
ferous in upper portion of stems and branches, which are straight, ascending, and 
leafy to the apex. Leaves linear- or linear-lanceolate, acute or subacute, sessile 
and slightly decurrent, roughly hispid with whitish hairs, ciliate, quito entire ; 
lower and central ones opposite, upper one alternate ; floral leaves small, lanceo- 
late, longer than the calyx, hispid-ciliate. Inflorescence spicate, the spikes elongat- 
ing in flower ; bracteoles linear, acute, hispid-ciliate, shorter than the calyx, rigid. 
Calyx gamosepalous, strongly 5-ribbed, and 5-lobed, i inch long, membranaceous 
between the ribs, roughly hispid on the ribs and margins of the lobes, lobes 
equalling the tubes. Corolla gamopetalous, tube about -| inch long, strongly curved 
outwards above the middle, narrow and subcylindrical below, gradually widening 
above the bend, glandularly pubescent outside, glabrous within ; limb bilabiate, 
spreading, upper lobe widest, emarginate, lower trifid, teeth obtuse. Stamens 4, 
didynamous, included, inserted near middle of the corolla tube ; anthers 1 -celled, 
obtuse at base and apex, glabrous. Ovary 2-celled, ovules numerous ; style short, 
included, thickened at ajiex. Capsule obovoid, glabrous, included in tlie persistent 
calyx, locnlicidal, valves coriaceous, entire. Seeds numerous, testa black, netted. 
Habitat ■■ Natal: Table Mountain, Krauss; Attercliffe, Sanderson, 428 ; Inanda, 
Tlooc?, 113; Charlestown and Colenso, Krmiss ; near Newcastle, Wilms, 2211; 
Howick, Mrs. Hutton, 181 ; Gerrard, 4o ; Gueinzius, 48; Ungoya, Zululand, Wylie 
{Wood 5739) ; Isandhlwana, Pattershall Tliomas. 
The genu- Striga contains about 30 species, inhabiting the warmer parts of 
Africa, Asia, and Australia, all of them are herbs and most of tliem parasitical to 
a greater or less extent. In Natal we have 5 well known species, and another 
one collected by Mr. M. S. Evans on the Drakens'oerg is probably identical with 
Junod.ii, collected by Junod near Delagoa Bay. The Natal species are probably 
all parasitic on the roots of grasses, or on plants belonging to the Order Grramineae, 
the most destructive one to the Maize crop is >-^\ lutea, formerly known as S. 
coccivea, Bth. It i - known to the natives as i-Sona, and to Colonists as " Witch- 
weed ; " the narasiti^ nature of this plant has been clearly shown by the Natal 
Government Entomologist, Mr. Claude Fuller, in the Natal Agricultural Journal, 
Vol. III., p. 65. Another plant of this genus, Forbe.m, is quite as destructive 
to the Maize crops as A. lutea, but is not so common. 8. Thunhergii I have never 
met with in corn fields and believe it to be parasitical on the roots of grasses, while 
S. lutea, and 8. Forbesii are seldom met with outside Maize fields, or in their close 
vicinity. 
Fig. 1, bract; 2, bracteole ; 3, flower; 4, calyx ; 5, coi'olla opened, showing 
stamens ; G, stamen ; 7, pistil ; 8, capsule ; 9, cross section of ovary ; all enlarged. 
