  PACHYPODIUM SUCCULENTUM. Cape Province. Apocynaceae. Tribe Echitideae. Pachypodium, Lindl.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p. 722. Pachypodium succulentum, DC., Prodr. vol. viii. p. 424; Fl. Cap. vol. iv. sect. 1, p. 517. Pachypodium tuberosum, Lindl., Bot. Reg. t. 1321. The species of Pachypodium figured in our illustration was first described by the famous traveller, Carl Thunberg, in the year 1794. Thunberg gathered his plants, on which he based his description, between the Gouritz and Sundays River. The name he gave to the species was Echites succulenta. Robert Brown, in 1909, surmised that the plant placed by Thunberg in the genus Echites would most likely constitute a distinct genus, and in 1830 Lindley confirmed this, and founded the genus Pachypodium upon, and gave an excellent figure of, this species of Pachypodium in the Botanical Register, at t. 1321, but gave it a new specific name, which is omitted from the Flora Capensis. Our present illustration was made from specimens growing on the rockeries of the Division of Botany, Pretoria, which were presented by Mr. Silvesta of Port Elizabeth. Description:—Plants with a very large tuberous stem, partly above ground, with several semi-succulent branches arising from the upper portion of the tuber. Branches with a waxy covering, glabrous or finely hairy when young. Leaves in fascicles, 1-4 cm. long, 2-6 mm. broad, linear or linear-lanceolate, obtuse, with recurved margins, green and pubescent above, paler and tomentose below. Spines arising in groups of 2-3 from an evident cushion, the two lateral spines longer and spreading, the medium spine shorter and erect, sometimes absent. Flowers terminal. Calyx campanulate; lobes narrowly lanceolate, acute, densely pubescent. Corolla twisted in bud; 1-1·5 cm. long, cylindric, pubescent; lobes 1·5 cm. long, 1 cm. Plate 21.—Fig. 1, plant much reduced; Fig. 2, calyx; Fig. 3, stamen; Fig. 4, style and stigma. F.P.S.A., 1921. [Image unavailable.] 22. K. A. Lansdell del. PROTEA ABYSSINICA. |
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