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
DESCRIPTION:--An acaulescent herb with large underground fleshy tubers 7
cm. long, about 5 cm. in diameter, and thick cylindric roots arising
from the junction of the tuber and short stem. _Leaves_ three to four to
a plant, 19 to 30 cm. long, 1·5 to 3 cm. broad, lanceolate linear,
subacuminate, acute, plicate, with the primary nerves prominent beneath,
glabrous. _Inflorescence_ lateral, racemose, about 26-flowered.
_Peduncle_ about 30 cm. long, surrounded by brown membranous sheaths 8
to 9 cm. long. _Floral-bracts_ 4 cm. long, linear, acuminate, acute.
_Pedicels_ about 6 mm. long. _Sepals_ 2·8 cm. long, 1·1 cm. broad,
ovate-lanceolate, shortly acuminate, acute, the upper sepal slightly
narrower. _Side petals_ 2·6 cm. long, 1 cm. broad, lanceolate, acute.
_Lip_ 3 cm. long, 1·3 cm. broad, 3-lobed; the middle lobe, obovate,
obtuse, sparsely covered with short filaments and produced at the base
into 2 keels; side lobes deep purple, 8 mm. long, 9 mm. broad,
ovate-oblong, obtuse, unequal sided; spur 5 mm. long, slightly curved,
terete, blunt. _Column_ 1 cm. long, 3 mm. broad, oblong, convex on the
back, deeply concave on the face. _Operculum_ ovate; pollinia ovate,
attached to a single gland. _Stigma_ kidney-shaped. (National Herb.
Pretoria, No. 2650.)
PLATE 119.--Fig. 1, plant much reduced; 2, bract; 3, median
longitudinal section of flower; 4, sepal; 5, side petal; 6, 7, lip;
8, column.
F.P.S.A., 1923.
[Illustration: _120._
S Gower del.]
PLATE 120.
HESSEA REHMANNI.
_Transvaal._
AMARYLLIDACEAE. Tribe AMARYLLIDEAE.
HESSEA, _Herb._; _Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant._ vol. iii. p. 720.
=Hessea Rehmanni=, _Baker, Hanb. Amaryllid._ 22; _Fl. Cap._ vol. vi. p. 190.
This species differs from the one we previously figured (_H. Zeyheri_,
Plate 43) in not having a short perianth-tube above the ovary. The
species here figured is evidently quite common in some localities in the
High Veld, growing amongst the grass, but has not been extensively
collected. Rehmann first found the plant on which Baker based his
description, and it has since been found by Miss Saunders and Mr. E. E.
Galpin near Johannesburg. Our illustration was made from specimens
collected by Dr. I. B. Pole Evans, C.M.G., at Kaalfontein, between
Pretoria and Johannesburg.
Baker in his description mentions that the pedicels are strongly angled,
but we suspect that is solely due to drying, as in the fresh material
the pedicels are quite terete.
Like many other plants belonging to the _Amaryllidaceae_, the seeds may
commence germination before falling from the capsule.
As far as we are aware the species has no common name, and we would
suggest “wit sambrieltje” for this little plant.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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