PLATE 390. 
SoHOTiA BEACH YPETALA, Sond. (Fl. Cap. Vol. II., p. 274.) 
Natural Order, LEGUMiNOSiE. 
A tree reaching to 20 feet in height, glabrous in all parts, bearing clusters of 
bright scarlet flowers which are frequently produced on the stem or branches. 
Bark brown, rough. Leaves alternate, equally pinnate, leaflets in 4-5 opposite 
pairs ; common petiole 3 to 4 inches long, swollen at base, petiolules scarcely 1 
line long, a little swollen ; leaflets oblong, ovate-oblong or elliptical, unequal sided 
at base, obtuse, emarginate or finely mncronidate at apex, dark green and shining 
above, dull beneath ; f to 2^ inches long, ^ to 1^ inch wide ; veins conspicuous 
but not pronjinent ; stipules minute, soon deciduous. Inflorescence paniculate, the 
panicles axillaiy, terminal, or often on the stem and large branches, peduncles 
short, many flowfred ; pedicels 2 to o Hues long; bracts ovate, deciduous. Calyx 
gamosepalous, 4-lobed, f inch long, the lobes equalling the tube, tube conical, 
lobes ovate, obtuse, erect. Petals 5, nunute, 4 very minute, bristle-Uke, ^ to 1^ 
line long, alternate with calyx lobes, 1 linear-spathulate, opposite a calyx lobe, 4^ 
lines long. IStamens 10, alternate ones shorter, much exserted from calyx tube, 
monadelphous, forming a cup a base. Ovary stipitate, the stalk adnate to calyx 
tube, tubercular rugose on both margins, many seeded. Legume bark brown, 
woody, margined, thickly covered with minute protuberances ; 2 to 4 inches long, 
several seeded ; seeds compressed, oblong, ^ inch long by 4 lines broad. 
Habitat : Natal: Gueinzius; in sheltered valleys where soil is dry and rocky, 
Sutherland; at 2000 feet alt, Sanderson; coastlands, September, Wood, 1367. 
Drawn and described from specimens gathered near Durban, October, 1905. 
A very handsome tree when in full flower, and well worth cultivation. The 
figure in the Thesaurus Capensis, Vol I., p. 32, represents the minute petals as all 
alike, but in the numerous fresh flowers examined by us they are as stated in the 
text. The legumes that we examined were a year old and much damaged by 
insects, they were 2 to 4-seeded and no ardlus was noted. The wood is said to be 
much like walnut, but closer in the grain, and a splendid furniture wood. Mr. 
Bazley says of it : "I have sevei-al jueces of furniture made of it, and know it to 
be a valuable wood. It contains a lot of tannin, and I call it African walnut." 
He also says in another letter : " It is a splendid furniture wood, but bad to work 
as the dust makes the eyes sore if it enters them. Takes a splendid polish, and if 
unpolished gets much darker." 
Fig. 1, calyx ; 2, flower with sepals removed ; 3, a stamen ; 4, ovary ; 5, a 
bract ; all enlarged. 
