The flowering plants of South Africa; vol. 4Pole Evans, I. B. (Illtyd Buller)
Science
The flowering plants of South Africa; vol. 4
Pole Evans, I. B. (Illtyd Buller)
Plants -- South Africa -- Periodicals; Plants -- South Africa -- Pictorial works -- Periodicals
_Cape Province._
AMARYLLIDACEAE. Tribe AMARYLLEAE.
STRUMARIA, _Jacq._; _Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant._ vol. iii. p. 728.
=Strumaria truncata=, _Jacq. Ic._ ii. t. 357; _Fl. Cap._ vol. vi. p. 216.
_Strumaria_ is a small endemic South African genus, and five species
have been described in the _Flora Capensis_, all of which have been
figured by Jacquin in his _Icones Plantarum Rariorum_. Two of the
species are recorded from Little Namaqualand, but no locality is known
for the other three, nor do any specimens appear to exist in herbaria,
Jacquin’s figures and descriptions being all we know about them. It is
with particular pleasure, therefore, that we reproduce this illustration
of a species of this little-known genus, and our readers are again
indebted to Mrs. E. Rood of Van Rhynsdorp for sending us fresh material.
Our plant differs slightly from Jacquin’s figure, inasmuch as the
dilated portion of the style does not narrow towards the base and is
irregularly lobed above, but on this account we do not feel justified in
keeping it distinct from _Strumaria truncata_.
_Strumaria truncata_ is a charming little plant with an umbel of white,
sweet-smelling flowers, faintly tinged with pink (the _Flora Capensis_
states flowers “inodorous”). The bulbs received from Mrs. Rood are being
grown at the Division of Botany, Pretoria, and we feel sure once the
species becomes known it will be sought after by cultivators of our
South African bulbs.
DESCRIPTION:--_Bulb_ 3 cm. in diameter, globose or ovoid, covered with
pale brown papery tunics, and produced into a distinct neck up to 3·5
cm. long. _Leaves_ 4-6, arising from a sheath, 2·2-4·5 cm. long, 1·2 cm.
broad, oblanceolate or oblong (strap-shaped), rounded at the apex,
glabrous. _Leaf-sheath_ 1·5-2 cm. in diameter, funnel-shaped, truncate,
fleshy, reddish. _Peduncle_ lateral, 15-23 cm. long, terete, glabrous.
_Spathe-valves_ reddish, 2-3·2 cm. long, longer or shorter than the
pedicels. _Pedicels_ slender, 1·2-2 cm. long, glabrous. _Inflorescence_
13-25-flowered; flowers white, faintly but sweet-scented. _Segments_ 1
cm. long, 3·6 mm. broad, lanceolate, obtuse. _Filaments_ connate into a
tube for 5 mm., then free for 7 mm., erect, glabrous; anthers 2·5 mm.
long, oblong, versatile. _Ovary_ 1·5 mm. long, globose, glabrous, with
about 5 ovules in each cell; style dilated, sharply 3-angled below and
united with filaments; free part of style 5·5 mm. long, terete; stigma
minutely 3-fid (National Herb., Pretoria, 2729).
* * * * *
PLATE 127.--Fig. 1, median longitudinal section of the flower; Fig. 2, a
perianth segment; Fig. 3, style, showing the dilated 3-angled lower
portion of the 3 stigmas; Fig. 4, a stamen.
F.P.S.A., 1924.
[Illustration: _128._]
PLATE 128.
MIMETES ARGENTEA.
_Cape Province._
PROTEACEAE. Tribe PROTEEAE.
MIMETES, _Salisb._; _Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant._ vol. iii. p. 171.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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