NOVITATES AFRICANAE 
119 
caulina 3 — 4, superiora vaginiformia, arete adpressa, internodiis multo 
breviora, 1-5 — 19 cm. longa; flores erecti, saepe solitarii vel spica 1-ramosa 
vel rarius 2-ramosa, ramis 2-8 — 4 cm. longis, 1-fL, ramo inferiore juniore; 
bracteae oblongae, superne attenuatae, apice vero subtruncatae, tubo 
periantbii parum longiores vel rarius breviores, 2 — 3 cm. longae, bracteolis 
fere aequilongis vel parum longioribus; perianthium purpureo-roseum, 
3-5 — 5 cm. longum, tubo stricto, segmentis obtusis vel subacutis, tubo 
parum longioribus, exterioribus oblongo-ovalibus, ad 8 mm. latis, inter- 
ioribus oblongo-obovatis, ad 1-1 cm. latis; stamina ad dimidium seg- 
mentorum vel ultra attingentia, antberis 0-8 — 1-2 cm. longis; stigmata 
gracilia, stamina parum superantia. 
Cape Province: South-Western Region; Humansdorp Div., southern 
slopes of Witte Els Berg, alt. 2000 — 2400 ft., fl. Feb. 1924, H. G. Fourcade, 
2968. 
Described from dried specimens. The branching of the inflorescence is 
very unusual in the genus. Mr Fourcade states: “Out of 28 specimens 
collected 20 are unbranched and bear a single flower; 8 are branched and 
bear, 7 of them 2, and 1 of them, 3 flowers. At each branch one spathe- 
valve subtends the main peduncle and the branch with its own smaller 
valve, but the latter does not subtend the main peduncle.” 
Lachenalia ovatifolia, L. Guthrie. Herba glabra, 10 — 14 cm. alta; bulbus 
ovoideus pallidus, tunicis laxis crustaceis brunneis, 1 — 1.5 cm. diam.; 
folia 2, amplexicaulia, demum erecta vel patentia, late ovata, carnosa, 
sordide viridia, marginibus cartilagineis purpureis, supra pustulata, ca. 
10-nervata, subtus levia, pallide purpureo-notata; pedunculus sat crassus 
pallidus, spica ca. 7 cm. longa, modice densa; bracteae variabiles, del- 
toideae acutae vel gradatim angustiores, lineares acuminatae, ad 5 mm. 
longae, superiores steriles saepe numerosae; flores sessiles patentes, 
perianthio tubuliformi, basi obliquo, 1-5 cm. longo, 0-7 cm. diam., seg- 
mentis exterioribus 8 mm. longis, basi pallidis coeruleo-suffusis, apicem 
versus purpureis, segmentis interioribus basin versus albis, superne 
patentibus, purpureis, infimo ab ceteris distante et labium inferius 
formante; stylus staminibus aequilongus, perianthio brevior. 
Cape Province: Western Region; Little Namaqualand, M. H. Giffen 
(National Botanic Gardens, No. iff-). 
Described from three living plants which flowered at Kirstenbosch, 
August 1926. It somewhat resembles L. trichophylla, Baker, but is readily 
distinguished by the two, glabrous leaves. 
