SARCOCAULON RIGIDUM.

South-West Africa.

Geraniaceae. Tribe Geranieae.

Sarcocaulon, Sweet; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. i. p. 272.

Sarcocaulon rigidum, Schinz in Verh. Bot. Ver. Brand., vol. xxix. p. 59, (1888).

This remarkable plant, one of the so-called “Bushman’s Candles” or “Candle Bush,” flowered in the garden of the Division of Botany, Pretoria, in September, 1919. The specimens were collected by Major C. W. Lewis at Aus in South-West Africa. It is very closely allied to S. Burmanni Sweet.[D] We are indebted to the Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, for the determination.

The plant appears to do quite well in cultivation as specimens have flowered and set mature fruit for two seasons at Pretoria.

Description:—Stems very stout and smooth, with a waxy epidermis. Primary leaves with long petioles, which, after the blade falls off, are hardened so as to form thorns 1·5-4 cm. long; lamina 1-1·6 cm. long, 5-9 mm. broad, obovate, cuneate at the base, retuse or sometimes 3-toothed at the apex, glaucous, glabrous; secondary leaves arising in the axils of the primary leaves, sessile or sub-sessile, obovate, cordate at the apex, cuneate at the base, entire. Stipules 2 mm. long, ovate-lanceolate, usually ciliate, deciduous. Sepals 1·2 cm. long, 6 mm. broad, obovate-oblong, obtuse, bluntly mucronate and shortly bearded at the apex, with membranous margins, concave, glabrous. Petals 2·2 cm. long, 1·6 cm. broad, obovate, somewhat truncate at the apex, glabrous, ciliate on the cuneate base. Stamens 15, of two different lengths; the filaments of the 10 shorter stamens not equalling the styles, 7 mm. long, linear, tapering to the apex, ciliate below; the filaments of the 5 long stamens exceeding the styles, 1·2 cm. long; anthers 2 mm. long, oblong. Ovary 3 mm. long, obovate in outline, silky; styles cohering, 6 mm. long, silky; stigmas 5, 2 mm. long, subterete, obtuse. Carpels 1 cm. long, produced into a long awn densely pilose in the upper half.