204 
NATURE NOTES 
The Cape primrose, or Streptocaypus, was introduced from the 
Cape in 1824 Its blossoms are trumpet -shaped, of lavender, 
purple, or bright blue colour. Its stems and leaves are woolly 
with short hairs, while the leaves spread from the root, somewhat 
similarly in habit to our own “ pale primrose.” 
The Strelitzia has a fine showy flower, known as the “ Bird 
of Paradise flower,” or Bird’s-tongue flower. It was named in 
honour of the wife of George III., Charlotte, of Mecklenburg 
Strelitz, about 1773. The seeds are a favourite article of food 
of the Kaffirs. A dried specimen of the flower is to be seen in 
one of the show cases of a bay on the right hand side of the 
entrance hall of the Cromwell Road Natural History Museum. 
South Africa is also the home of a great variety of plants 
with succulent and fleshy leaves. Many of the Aloes are natives 
of the Cape. Their leaves are thick and fleshy, arranged in 
the form of a rosette, and armed with thick marginal prickles. 
Our earliest note of this group is the Aloe vera in 1596. 
The most noted of the Cape succulent plants are perhaps the 
Mesembyyauthemums, or Fig-marigolds. A fairly familiar specimen 
of these plants in our conservatories is the Ice-plant {M . 
cyystallinum), its foliage covered with ice-like globules. The 
whole family comprises plants of the oddest character, mostly 
with big showy flowers of the most brilliant hues. They only, 
as a rule, expand in sunshine, and are therefore (true to the 
derivation of their name) “midday” flowers. The leaves of 
some species are “ round and solid as a pear ; some as nuts, 
berries, puffballs, or figs ; others with tooth-fringed leaves bear 
a resemblance to the jaws and teeth of wolves, mice, tigers, cats, 
&c., and after which they are named. Other species resemble 
horns, sickles, or half-moons, and many other singularities may 
be found among them.” Our earliest acquaintance with these 
strange plants dates from about 1696. 
Then the Cyassulas, Stapelias, Cacti, Euphoybias, hothouse 
species of the wood-sorrels, arum-lilies, mimosas, gardenias, 
tuberoses and disas, or terrestrial orchids, are very characteristic 
of the Cape vegetation. 
It is evident therefore that we owe a great many of our 
favourite flowers to the South African regions. For many 
years the native tribes and the jealousy of the Dutch Boers 
prevented the march of exploration. As brighter days dawm 
over the country and the freedom of the British flag spreads 
over wider and wider areas, we may hope to extend the number 
of our floral treasures, and to glean yet more beautiful varieties 
of many of our most familiar and best-loved plants. 
