DESCRIPTION:--An acaulescent plant. _Leaves_ radical, crowded, 10-40 cm. long, 2-6 mm. broad, linear, subacute, with a short spine at the apex, narrowed and channelled below and sheathing at the base, dark green and glabrous above, white tomentose beneath, except on the midrib, with the margins spinulose-ciliate. _Peduncle_ 24 cm. long, terete, hollow, pilose on the uppermost third, with 1 or 2 bracts. _Involucral scales_ connate at the base; tube 1 cm. long, 7 mm. in diameter, glabrous, intruse at the base; scales in three rows, 1-1·5 cm. long; the outer linear-acuminate, acute, with spinulose margins; the inner ovate, acuminate, acute, with membranous margins. _Receptacle_ convex, honeycombed. _Ray-florets_ neuter, 3·2 cm. long; the limb 1·2 cm. broad, obovate-oblong, obtuse, with a broad mouse-coloured band beneath and about 15-veined. _Disc florets_ hermaphrodite, 1-2 cm. long; tube 5-angled; lobes 4 mm. long, linear-oblong, obtuse. _Anthers_ minutely tailed at the base. _Pappus_ of delicate linear acuminate scales hidden by the long hairs which cover the ovary. _Ovary_ densely villous; style with a thickened ring about the middle; lobes linear, obtuse. * * * * * PLATE 51.--Fig. 1, flowers and leaves; Fig. 2, upper portion of style; Fig. 3, stamens; Fig. 4, longitudinal section of capitulum with hairs from ovary removed; Fig. 5, corolla laid open; Fig. 6, disc-floret, showing pappus, with hairs from the ovary removed; Fig. 7, plant, much reduced. F.P.S.A., 1922. [Illustration: _52._ S. Gower del.] PLATE 52. PELARGONIUM CRASSICAULE. _South-West Africa._ * * * * * GERANIACEAE. Tribe PELARGONIEAE. PELARGONIUM, _L’Her._; _Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant._ vol. i. p. 273. * * * * * =Pelargonium crassicaule=, _L’Her. Ger._ t. 36; _Fl. Cap._ vol. i. p. 299. * * * * * This species of _Pelargonium_ is one of the many botanical curiosities found in the arid regions of South-West Africa, where the native plants have to contend against very adverse conditions. In the dry season the plant loses its leaves and assumes a knobby appearance due to the thick rather woody stems. The leaves appear after the rains and are more or less crowded at the ends of the branches. The species was first discovered by Mr. Ant. Hove in 1786 in South-West Africa, and was introduced by him into Kew Gardens the same year. In 1799 a figure was published in the _Botanical Magazine_ (t. 477) prepared from a plant which flowered with Messrs. Grimwood & Co., Kensington, London. Though this figure does not quite agree with our specimen in the markings of the petals, we have no doubt that it represents the plant here illustrated, which can only be considered as a variety.