DESCRIPTION:--_Branches_ finely tomentellous, at length glabrous. _Leaves_ 3¼-4½ in. long, ¾-1½ in. broad, strongly imbricate, ovate to ovate-lanceolate or elliptic-oblong, obtuse with a callous point, sub-cordate or rounded or slightly narrowed at the base, coriaceous, prominently veined, glabrous, with the margins shortly villous or at length glabrous. _Head_ sessile, 4 in. long, about 2½ in. in diameter. _Involucral-bracts_ 8-seriate; outer ovate, obtuse, villous-pubescent or more or less glabrescent, with a dense fringe of woolly hairs; inner more or less flesh-colour to carmine with an oblong limb and a linear claw, finely villous-tomentose, tips densely ciliate, exceeding the flowers. _Perianth-sheath_ 2 in. long, dilated, 5-nerved and 3-keeled below, finely tomentose, glabrous at the base; lip over 1 in. long, 3-awned, lateral awns 3-4½ in. long, filiform, flexuous, tawny to purplish-tomentose; median awn 1 in. long, filiform. _Fertile stamens_ 3, sub-sessile; filaments ¾ in. long, flattened; anthers linear, 4½ in. long; apical gland almost 1 in. long, lanceolate-oblong; barren stamen 4½ in. long, linear, eglandular. _Ovary_ 1 in. long, oblong, densely covered with long light-golden hairs; style 2 in. long, finely grooved on the convex side, glabrous; stigma 2½ in. long, linear, obtuse, strongly keeled and bent at the junction with the style. PLATE 84.--Fig. 1, longitudinal section of receptacle; Fig. 2, surface view of portion of receptacle; Fig. 3, an outermost bract; Fig. 4, inner bract; Fig. 5, a single flower; Fig. 6, ovary and base of style; Fig. 7, stigma and upper part of style. F.P.S.A., 1923. [Illustration: _85._ S. Gower del.] PLATE 85. GERBERA PLANTAGINEA. _Transvaal._ COMPOSITAE. Tribe MUTISIEAE. GERBERA, _Gronov._; _Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant._ vol. ii. p. 497. =Gerbera plantaginea=, _Harv. in Fl. Cap._ vol. ii. p. 522.