Plate 81. CLEMATOPSIS stanleyi.

Transvaal. Tropical Africa.

Ranunculaceae. Tribe Clematideae. Clematopsis, Bojer MS. ex Hutchinson in Kew Bulletin, 1920, p. 12.

Clematopsis Stanleyi, Hutchinson in Kew Bulletin, 1920, p. 21. Clematis Stanleyi, Harv. in Harv. and Sond. Fl. Cap., vol. i. p. 2.

In the Botanical Magazine (t. 7166) 1891, an excellent figure of this species was given with some critical notes by Sir Joseph Hooker on the taxonomic affinities of the species, and recently (Kew Bulletin, 1920) Mr. J. Hutchinson dealt more fully with the group represented by our plant. He has established Bojer’s MS. name Clematopsis, under which he describes 15 species of which only C. Stanleyi occurs within our limits. The separation of Clematopsis from Clematis is based on the aestivation of the sepals and for a full account of these differences the reader is referred to Mr. Hutchinson’s article. The chief interest in the genus is the fact that it forms a connecting link between the tribes Anemoneae and Clematideae, which were hitherto supposed to be sharply demarcated. It is confined to the ancient plateau of Africa and its continuation in Madagascar.

Clematopsis Stanleyi is a fairly common plant in parts of the Transvaal and has been recorded from the Pretoria, Witwatersrand, Waterberg, Middleburg Districts, and it extends into Rhodesia and Angola. In habit it is a small shrub 18 inches to 2 feet high and when in full bloom is a very pleasing object and well worth the attention of horticulturists. When in fruit the beauty of the plant is not entirely lost as the long white plumose styles stand out in sharp contrast to the surrounding vegetation.

The specimen figured here was collected by Miss S. Gower at Krugersdorp in February 1922.

Description:—A small shrub 45-60 cm. high. Branches ribbed, villous. Leaves opposite, 7-14 cm. long, bipinnate; the ultimate leaflets about 2 cm. long, pinnately lobed; lobes linear, acute, villous; petiole concave above, convex beneath, villous. Peduncle axillary and terminal, 3-8 cm. long, densely villous. Sepals 2 cm. long, 1·5 cm. broad, obovate, densely villous without and within. Filaments 8 mm. long, linear, pilose; anthers 4 mm. long. Style 1·2 cm. long, densely plumose. Fruits densely villous terminated by the persistent plumose style.

Plate 81.—Fig. 1, stamens, front and side view; Fig. 2, a single carpel; Fig. 3, fruits with the persistent styles.

F.P.S.A., 1923.

K. A. Lansdell del