THE FLOWERING PLANTS OF SOUTH AFRICA. A MAGAZINE CONTAINING HAND-COLOURED FIGURES WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FLOWERING PLANTS INDIGENOUS TO SOUTH AFRICA. EDITED BY I. B. POLE EVANS, C.M.G., M.A., D.Sc., F.L.S., Chief, Division of Botany and Plant Pathology, Department of Agriculture, Pretoria; and Director of the Botanical Survey of the Union of South Africa. VOL. V. [Illustration] The veld which lies so desolate and bare Will blossom into cities white and fair, And pinnacles will pierce the desert air, And sparkle in the sun. R. C. MACFIE’S “EX UNITATE VIRES.” LONDON: L. REEVE & CO., LTD., HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON SOUTH AFRICA: THE SPECIALTY PRESS OF SOUTH AFRICA, LTD., P.O. BOX 3958, JOHANNESBURG; P.O. BOX 388, CAPETOWN. 1925. [_All rights reserved._] THIS VOLUME IS CORDIALLY DEDICATED TO THOMAS PEARSON STOKOE OF CAPE TOWN WHOSE INDEFATIGABLE EXERTIONS IN EXPLORING THE FLORA OF THE CAPE MOUNTAINS HAVE RENDERED VALUABLE SERVICE TO SOUTH AFRICAN BOTANY BY THE DISCOVERY OF NEW PLANTS AND THE RE-DISCOVERY OF MANY THAT WERE LONG LOST, AND TO WHOSE ZEAL, ENTHUSIASM, AND GENEROSITY AS A COLLECTOR THIS WORK IS GREATLY INDEBTED. DIVISION OF BOTANY, PRETORIA. _October, 1925._ [Illustration: 161.] PLATE 161. COTYLEDON ORBICULATA. _Cape Province, Transvaal._ CRASSULACEAE. COTYLEDON, _Linn._; _Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant._ vol. i. p. 659. * * * * * =Cotyledon orbiculata=, _Linn. Sp. Pl._ 614; _Fl. Cap._ vol. ii. p. 371. * * * * * _Cotyledon orbiculata_ was first figured in the _Botanical Magazine_ in 1795, and stated to have been introduced into English gardens about the year 1690. The genus _Cotyledon_ differs from _Crassula_ (see Plate 115) by having twice as many stamens as petals. It is a large genus in South Africa, and represented by between 30 to 40 species. Several species of the genus are of economic interest inasmuch as they produce disease in stock. The well-known “Krimptziekte” of goats is caused by _C. Wallichii_. The Division of Veterinary Education and Research carried out some feeding experiments with _C. orbiculata_ in 1921 at Grahamstown, and definitely proved that feeding the leaves to fowls caused death.