Refugium Botanicum. | (April, 1870. 
TAB, 195. 
Natural Order STERCULIACER. 
Tribe HerMAnnNIEz. 
Genus Hermannta (Linn. Gen. 828). Calyx 5-fidus. Petala 5, obovata 
vel oblonga, marcescentia vel decidua, unguibus cayis. Stamina 5, 
petalis opposita, basi connata, staminodiis nullis, filamentis oblongis 
vel superne dilatatis, antherarum loculis parallelis. Ovarium 
sessile vel breviter stipitatum, 5-loculare, loculis multiovulatis ; 
styli 5, basi plus minus coaliti. Capsula loculicide 5-valvis, apice 
nuda vel 5-cornuta. Semina reniformia, albuminosa; embryo 
arcuatus ; cotyledones oblong ; radicula juxta hilum. MHerbee vel 
suffrutices capenses, pube sepius stellata plus minus vestite, 
stipulis foliaceis, floribus racemosis. — Benth. et Hook. fil. Gen. 
Plant. i. 223. 
H. scoparia (Harv. Fl. Cap. i. 194). Ramis virgatis erectis sparse 
hispidis, foliis parvis subsessilibus linearibus subintegris vel sursum 
inconspicue dentatis supra glabris infra sparse hispidis, stipulis 
linearibus foliis dimidio brevioribus, racemis 1—6-floris, pedicellis 
perbrevibus, calyce campanulato sparse hispido dentibus deltoideis 
tubo subeequantibus, petalis calyce subduplo longioribus, filamentis 
antheris longioribus, ovario obovoideo hispido.—Mahernia scoparia, 
Eck. et Zeyh. 404. 
A native of Cape Colony. 
A copiously-branched bush, with slender sulcate erect incon- 
spicuously hispid twigs. Leaves subsessile, subcoriaceous, linear, 
narrowed from the middle to both ends, acute, subentire or 
slightly toothed in the upper half, the largest in the cultivated 
plant twelve to fifteen lines long, a line and a half to two lines 
broad, both sides green, the under one slightly hispid on the 
midrib and edge. Stzpules linear, about half as long as the 
leaves. Peduncles ascending, the flowers one to six in moderately 
close subsecund racemes. Pedicels very short, bracteated. Calyx 
two lines deep, hispid on the conspicuous veins, the deltoid teeth 
equalling the campanulate tube. Petals nearly twice as long as 
the calyx, cream-coloured in our specimens. Filaments longer 
than the anthers. Ovary obovoid, hispid, about equalling the 
glabrous style. 
Tab. 195.—1, entire flower; 2, separate petal; 3, stamens and pistil ; 
4, separate stamen; 5, pistil; 6, section of ovary; 7, section of the 
fruit: all magnified.—J. G. B. 
ot 
