The flowering plants of South Africa; vol. 5 — John Shaqi
The flowering plants of South Africa; vol. 5Pole Evans, I. B. (Illtyd Buller)
Science
The flowering plants of South Africa; vol. 5
Pole Evans, I. B. (Illtyd Buller)
Plants -- South Africa -- Periodicals; Plants -- South Africa -- Pictorial works -- Periodicals
A comparison of the present plate with that of the “Botanical Magazine”
quoted above will show that our plant has a more lax habit, and this is
to be explained by the fact that it is growing under the shelter of a
large tree. The shape and dentition of the leaves vary considerably. The
young leaves are narrowly (1·5 cm.) lanceolate, while adult leaves are
broadly (4·5 cm.) obovate. Some of the leaves are quite entire, while
others are remotely toothed. All these variations are found on the same
plant. On young branches the leaves are grouped in more or less of a
rosette at the apex of the branch.
The species is well worthy of cultivation, as it grows luxuriantly and
flowers profusely, and often produces flowering stems over 30 cm. long.
The flowers are coral-red (R.C.S., Plate XIII).
DESCRIPTION:--A herbaceous shrub up to ·6 m. high. _Leaves_ more or less
crowded at the base, 6 to 12 cm. long, 1·5 to 4·5 cm. broad, lanceolate,
lanceolate-obovate to obovate, narrowed at the base, entire or remotely
toothed, glaucous, fleshy; the older leaves channelled on the upper
surface in the lower portion and distinctly keeled beneath. _Flowering
stems_ up to 30 cm. long, with scattered leaves 2 to 9 cm. apart, which
decrease in size upwards, usually simple. _Heads_ homogamous, solitary.
_Involucral-bracts_ 1·9 cm. long, concrete, forming a tube 1 cm. in
diameter and oblong in outline, produced into nine lanceolate lobes
above. _Receptacle_ slightly concave. _Corolla-tube_ 1·9 cm. long,
cylindric, very gradually widening upwards; lobes 2 mm. long, spreading,
ovate-oblong, obtuse. _Anthers_ blunt at the base, with a lanceolate
apical appendage. _Style-branches_ much recurved, obtuse, with marginal
papillae. _Ovary_ 5 mm. long, cylindric, glabrous. _Pappus_ 1·2 cm.
long, of many fine bristles. (National Herb., Pretoria, No. 2738.)
PLATE 179.--Fig. 1, plant, much reduced; Fig. 2, cross-section of
leaf; Fig. 3, longitudinal section of head; Fig. 4, median
longitudinal section of flower; Fig. 5, anthers; Fig. 6, style;
Fig. 7, fruit and pappus.
F.P.S.A., 1925.
[Illustration: 180.]
PLATE 180.
ALOE SESSILIFLORA.
_Transvaal._
LILIACEAE. Tribe ALOINEAE.
ALOE, _Linn._; _Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant._ vol. iii. p. 776.
* * * * *
=Aloe sessiliflora=, _Pole Evans in Trans. Roy. Soc. S. Afr._ vol. v. p. 708.
* * * * *
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