Struthiola
(from struthion, a little sparrow; alluding to the resemblance of the seeds to a beak). SYN. Belvala. ORD. Thymelaeaceae. A genus comprising about a score species of pretty, greenhouse, evergreen, Heath-like shrubs or under-shrubs, restricted to South Africa. Flowers white, red, or yellow, sub-sessile in the upper axils, solitary or rarely twin; perianth tube slender, the lobes four, spreading; stamens four, included in the tube; bracteoles two, short, narrow, stipitate. Fruit small, dry. Leaves opposite or rarely scattered, rather small, coriaceous, often loosely imbricated. The best-known species are here described. They thrive in sandy peat. Propagation may be effected by cuttings, inserted in sand, under a glass. S. erecta (erect). fl. pink or white, five to six lines long, the lobes acuminate. June. l. clustered, linear-lanceolate, acute, spreading, one to three-nerved at back, not ciliated. Branches slender, straight. h. 1 1/2ft. 1798. Shrub highly glabrous. (B. M. 2138; L. B. C. 74.) S. lineariloba glabra (linear-lobed, glabrous). fl. reddish or white, scarcely 1/2in. long; lobes linear, obtuse. June. l. half-spreading, needle-like, convex at back, almost nerveless, glabrous. h. 2ft. 1820. (B. M. 222, under name of S. erecta; L. B. C. 75, under name of S. juniperina.) S. longiflora (long-flowered). fl. reddish or yellowish, densely tomentose, eight to twelve lines long; lobes ovate-oblong. July, l. imbricated, ovate-or linear-lanceolate, slightly acuminate, rather obtuse, slenderly striated, glabrous, ciliated, at length naked, one-half or one-third the length of the flowers. Branches puberulous. h. 2ft. 1819. (B. M. 1212, under name of S. pubescens.) S. lucens (shining). fl. yellow, five to seven lines long, pubescent; lobes ovate-oblong. June. l. imbricated, lanceolate or oblong, acuminate and acute, clasping, six to ten lines long, shining, ciliated, at length naked. Branches twiggy, pubescent above. h. 2ft. 1817.
S. ovata (ovate). fl. white or flesh-coloured, several times longer than the leaves; lobes ovate, acuminate. April. l. ovate or oblong, slightly acute, nearly flat, obsoletely one to three-nerved at back. h. 2ft. 1792. (A. B. R. 119; L. B. C. 141.) S. striata (striated). fl. yellow, cano-pilose, scarcely longer than the leaves; lobes oblong, acute. July. l. ovate or oblong, sub-acute, flat, or the upper ones somewhat clasping, acute, striate-nerved, ciliated, glabrous. Branchlets pubescent. h. 2ft. 1820. (A. B. R. 113, under name of S. imbricata.) S. tomentosa (tomentose). fl. yellow, cano-tomentose, 1/2in. long; lobes oblong, obtuse. August. l. imbricated, oval-oblong, rather obtuse, three to five lines long, three to five-nerved at back, slightly pilose; upper ones broader, half-clasping; lower ones flat, linear-lanceolate; young and branchlets densely canovillous. h. 2ft. 1799. (A. B. R. 334.) S. virgata (twiggy). fl. red; tube adpressedly pilose; lobes ovate, rather obtuse. June. l. opposite, three to six lines long, clustered, semi-spreading, linear or lanceolate-linear, obtuse, ciliated, or, as well as the branchlets, pubescent. h. 2ft. 1779. (A. B. R. 139, under name of S. rubra; A. B. R. 140, under name of S. ciliata.) S. v. incana (hoary). fl. white; tube densely pubescent; limb glabrescent. l. ciliated, penicillate. Branchlets densely hoary or silky-villous at apex. (L. B. C. 11, under name of S. incana.)