SUTERA GRANDIFLORA.
Transvaal.
Scrophulariaceae. Tribe Manuleae.
Sutera, Roth.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p. 945.
Sutera grandiflora, Hiern.; Fl. Cap. vol. iv. sect. ii. p. 304.
Mr. E. E. Galpin, who collected this species round Barberton in 1889, described it in the Kew Bulletin (1895, p. 151) under the name of Lyperia grandiflora. The species is a native of the Barberton District of the Transvaal, but has not been extensively collected. Mr. Galpin describes it as “abundant amongst scrub on the hillsides and in the valleys around Barberton, flowering throughout the year, but chiefly in June and July.� In cultivation it grows to a rather dense bush 2 to 4 feet high, and flowers profusely. Very fine specimens are in cultivation at the National Botanic Gardens, Kirstenbosch, and we are indebted to the Director of the gardens for the fresh material from which the accompanying Plate was prepared. The species should prove a great acquisition to horticulturists.
Description:—An undershrub, viscid-pubescent erect, 0·4 to 1·2 m. high; branches alternate or opposite, ascending, leafy, rigid, rather robust, the lower elongated. Leaves mostly alternate, subfasciculate, oval-oblong, obtuse or subacute, more or less wedge-shaped at the base, crenate-serrate, hispid, scabrid, shortly petiolate, 0·6 to 3 cm. long, 3 to 8 mm. broad; lateral veins alternate, narrowly impressed on the upper face, hispid and raised on the lower. Flowers racemose, numerous, 2 to 3 cm. long; racemes terminal, simple, subcorymbose and rather dense at first, afterwards elongating and rather lax, deep purple, 4 to 30 cm. long; pedicels divaricate or ascending, glandular-pilose, moderately rigid, 1-flowered, alternate, 6 to 8 mm. long, the upper crowded; bracts basal, sublinear, solitary or subfasciculate.[{48}] Calyx glandular-hispid, deeply 5-lobed, 6 to 8 mm. long; segments linear-oblong or spathulate or sublinear, obtuse. Corolla-tube shortly glandular-pubescent, 0·8 to 3 cm. long, subcylindrical, rather slender, slightly dilated and curved near the top; limb spreading, 2 to 3 cm. in diameter; lobes obovate-rotund, entire or retuse, 1 to 1·3 cm. long. Stamens included; style filiform, glabrous, about 1·5 cm. long; ovary sprinkled especially near the apex with small glands, otherwise glabrous. Capsules ovoid-oblong, minutely glandular, 1 cm. long; seeds very numerous, irregularly oblong, 0-5 mm. long. (Flora Capensis; National Herb. Pretoria, No. 2742.)
Plate 131.—Fig. 1, portion of branch, showing leaves; Fig. 2, median longitudinal section of flower; Fig. 3, bud showing folding of petals; Fig. 4, corolla laid open; Fig. 5, calyx; Fig. 6, front view of petals; Fig. 7, ovary; Fig. 8, upper portion of style; Fig. 9, anther.