The flowering plants of South Africa; vol. 3 — John Shaqi
The flowering plants of South Africa; vol. 3Pole Evans, I. B. (Illtyd Buller)
Science
The flowering plants of South Africa; vol. 3
Pole Evans, I. B. (Illtyd Buller)
Plants -- South Africa -- Periodicals; Plants -- South Africa -- Pictorial works -- Periodicals
This plant was discovered in Natal by Mr. J. Sanderson, who sent living
specimens to Kew, where it flowered first in May 1869. From the material
a figure of the plant was published in the _Botanical Magazine_ of the
same year. This figure, however, does not accurately represent the plant
as it is known in its native habitat and in local cultivation. The
flowers are lilac, and not almost white, as indicated in the _Botanical
Magazine_. The late Dr. Medley Wood reproduced a pencil drawing of the
plant in “Natal Plants” in 1912, and states it “is a handsome shrub, but
it is of no economic value; it is found only in the coast and midland
districts of Natal, and does not seem to be very common.” _MacKaya
bella_ differs from _Crossandra Greenstockii_ (see Plate 77), which also
belongs to the _Acanthaceae_, in having almost a regular, not a 1-lipped
corolla.
Dr. Harvey, who first described the genus, dedicated it to Dr. J. T.
MacKay, keeper of the Dublin University Botanic Garden. Our figure was
prepared from plants growing in the “Flanagan Arboretum,” Union
Buildings, Pretoria.
DESCRIPTION:--A shrub about 1-1·5 m. high. _Branches_ pubescent.
_Leaves_ opposite, petioled; blade 3-6 cm. long, 1·3-3·5 cm. broad,
elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, obtuse, usually narrowed at
the base, margins lobulate or subentire, with the nerves distinct
beneath, glabrous; petioles about 1 cm. long, pubescent. _Flowers_
opposite in a terminal lax raceme; the internodes almost 2 cm. long.
_Bracts_ 4·5 mm. long, subulate; bracteoles 2, at the base of the
pedicels. _Pedicel_ 5-7 mm. long, pubescent. _Calyx_ divided almost to
the base; lobes 8 mm. long, acuminate from a base 1 mm. broad, very
finely pubescent, and ciliate on the margins. _Corolla-tube_ 3·5 cm.
long, 2 cm. in diameter at the throat, campanulate above, becoming
cylindric below, finely pubescent; lobes 2 cm. long, 1-1·5 cm. broad,
ovate, obtuse, very finely pubescent or glabrous. _Fertile stamens_ two;
filaments fixed to narrow portion of corolla-tube, 1·5 cm. long, terete,
with a few scattered short stiff hairs; anthers 7 mm. long, bluntly
sagittate at the base, hirsute on the back; sterile stamens represented
by filaments only. _Ovary_ 3 mm. long, 2-celled, with 2 superposed
ovules in each cell, glabrous; style 3·3 cm. long, filiform, with a few
scattered hairs at the base; stigma shortly bifid. (National Herb.
Pretoria, No. 2638.)
PLATE 104.--Fig. 1, calyx; 2, corolla; 3, anther back view and
filament; 4, anther front view; 5, ovary; 6, apex of style showing
shortly bifid stigma; 7, longitudinal section of ovary.
F.P.S.A., 1923.
[Illustration: _105._
S Gower del.]
PLATE 105.
ADENIUM OLEIFOLIUM.
_Transvaal. Cape Province._
APOCYNACEAE. Tribe ECHITIDEAE.
ADENIUM, _Roem. et Schult._; _Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant._ vol. ii. p. 722.
=Adenium oleifolium=, _Stapf_, var. angustifolium, _Phillips_ var. nov., a
typo foliis angustis differt.
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