WILD FLOWERS OF Series 2 Issued 22nd October, 2002

(Extracted from Philatelic Bureau Bulletin No 6 of 2002)2

Zimbabwe is very rich in outstanding natural resources, of which not the least is its wealth of wild flowers, not only beautiful but offering a wealth of different foods, medicinal uses, essential oils, garden ornamentals and other joys as yet barely marginally explored. Modern developments and a rapidly expanding population have resulted in conservation problems.

$20: Dissotis princeps: (Musukandarira) The shrub generally growing in clumps along stream banks or in damp places at high altitudes. It is a glory of the Eastern Highlands. The showy purple flowers appear from December to March, growing over a metre high on rough four-angled stems. The leaves, with parallel veins, mature to golden yellow and scarlet. This is the most striking of seven species of Dissotis growing wild in Zimbabwe, others having magenta or rose-pink blossoms.

$35: Leonotis nefetifolia: (Wild Dagga. Minaret flower. Lion's Ear. Mudyatsonzo. Imbanjeyabafazi) A widespread showy annual of the Salvia family, growing in clumps in grasslands, rocky outcrops, disturbed soil and along roadsides, flowering conspicuously from February to April, or most of the year. Four species of Leonotis grow wild in Zimbabwe, with flowers ranging from cream to golden yellow and orange and supposedly resembling in shape a lion's ear. As the fruits ripen the old flower clusters become spherical and prickly, ranging in size like miniature minarets. They are dried and used in flower arrangements. The is easily propagated and is becoming a garden ornament.

$40: Hibiscus vitifolius: (Vine-leaved Hibiscus. Idele. Derere lambekachere) An erect annual scrub of grasslands and vlei margins, reaching over a metre in height and flowering most profusely from January to April. The showy bell-shaped flowers are cream with deep crimson base. This is one of forty-three species of Hibiscus, growing widespread in Zimbabwe and closely resembling Deccan hemp (Shona: sosoori) from which cordage was sometimes made. The Ndebele and Shona names refer to the edible leaves, boiled as spinach, and the roots boiled or roasted or sundried for winter use.

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$50: Boophone disticha: (Tumble-weed. Munzepete. Ingcotho.) This is a wide-spread member of the Amaryllis family. The flowers appear with the first rains, before the leaves, from September to November, often growing several together in sandy soil, the scarlet flowers radiating from a flattened central stem. As the fruits mature the flower stalks elongate to form a sphere, which breaks off and is blown or tumbled about by the wind, scattering the seeds. The scaly bulb grows partly above ground and bears a striking double fan of pointed dark green leaves. The name “Boophane” means Ox-killer and refers to the bulb, which is highly toxic. It was used to help a spirit medium into a trance and was possibly the source of poison for Bushman arrows. (Note: scientific name on stamp reads Boophane instead of Boophone)

$70: Pycnostachys urticifolia: (Prickly Salvia. Hedgehog flower. Zinyamhunga.) A widespread bushy perennial, some two metres high, flowering from April to June in damp grassland and amongst rocks. The beautiful blue flowers, with golden anthers, grow in spikes, crowded together with the maturing nut-like fruits protected by prickly spines. This is the most common of five species of salvia growing wild in Zimbabwe. It can easily be propagated from cuttings and is sometimes used as a garden ornamental.

$90: superba: (Flame Lily. Kajongwe.) This beautiful lily, widespread in tropical Africa and in , has become the national flower emblem of Zimbabwe. It blooms in December and January, appearing from annual stems, branched and unbranched, from a horizontal . The flame-like petals curve back in brilliant shades of gold, yellow, scarlet, orange and magenta with crisply waved margins, varying in colour even on the same stem. This is a protected wild plant. Picking and wayside selling is illegal.

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The Stamps

Miniature sheet at 50% size

Catalogue listings

SG ZSC1 Value Description

1093 519 $20 Dissotis princeps 1094 520 $35 Leonotis nepetfolia 1095 521 $40 Hibiscus vitifolius 1096 522 $50 Boophone disticha (spelt Boophane) 1097 523 $70 Pycnostachys urticifolia 1098 524 $90 Gloriosa superba MS1099 MS5 Miniature sheet (se-tenant block of 6 designs)

Technical details

Stamp size: All values 35 x 30 mm

Sheet Size: 50 stamps (10 rows of 5 stamps), two panes per printed sheet

Artist: Lady Margaret Tredgold

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Paper: ZSC paper type H - another HS8 type paper. The paper is off-white and non-fluorescent front and back, PVA creamish gum. The shade intensity of the gummed side may vary occasionally under UV.

Print colours: Cyan, magenta, yellow & black

Perforations: SG 14½ x 14, ZSC 14¼ x 14 Top margin: Perforated through. Other margins: Imperforate

Printer: NatPrint, Harare, Zimbabwe

Printer’s Imprint: Sheet stamps only: Bottom Margin, below Row 10 Column 3. Imprint printed in black

Cylinder numbers: Sheet stamps only: Top margin above R1/1. Colours from left – cyan, magenta, yellow, black

Colour register: Sheet stamps only: Type TL 4– round boxed – left margin opposite R1/1. Colours reading down – cyan, magenta, yellow, black

Sheet Value: Sheet stamps only: Top margin, above R1/5, printed in black.

Sheet Number: Sheet stamps only: Type SN 7 with printed ‘ZIMPOST’ prefix, right margin opposite R10/5, reading down

Print numbers: $20 2,620,000 $35 320,000 $40 200,000 $50 230,000 $70 170,000 $90 170,000 Miniature sheet 10,000

Issue date: 22nd October, 2002

Miniature sheet

These miniature sheets have no perforations through the margins. In simple terms the sheetlets were produced using the comb perforators, in a laborious process of perforating with the head and teeth of the comb separately. For more details on this process see the section of the Encyclopaedia headed “the Local Printing of Rhodesian & Zimbabwean Stamps”.

As a result of this perforating process, with the need to take the sheets through the perforators twice, some variations in the positioning of the perforations can be found. This slight movement should be considered normal.

Listed varieties

No listed varieties have been noted.

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Unlisted Varieties

There are numerous small dots and specks in the printing of these stamps, particularly in the backgrounds.

$20: black spot between ‘$2’ $20: Cyan curl behind of value. R9/2 (Courtesy Narendhra Morar) $40: Double black Cyl 1A R2/1

$20: Proof (Source – eBay download)

$90: Movement of perforation to the right, at a slight angle Miniature sheet: movement of vertical (Courtesy Jefferson Ritson) perfs to the right, touching image frame

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Miniature sheet: Missing top line of Miniature sheet: All vertical perforations perforations. missing. (Courtesy Jefferson Ritson) (Courtesy Jefferson Ritson)

Miniature sheet: upward movement of Miniature sheet: movement of vertical horizontal perfs into bottom of the stamps. perfs down. (Courtesy Jefferson Ritson) (Courtesy Jefferson Ritson)

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Miniature sheet: $90 stamp. Below is a small essay of the area of the design immediately below the ‘WE’ of Zimbabwe. Examination of dozens of miniature sheet shows these stamps to be fairly consistent. Which would be appropriate with the printing sheets having several panes.

Minor scratch, with additional cyan dots and Small scratch marks in white background. Also with large yellow spot in ‘W’

Long scratch, with various cyan spots and Small scratch, with magenta marks and marks yellow spot below ‘E’

Miniature sheet: $90 stamp A number of large additional yellow spots have been noted

Yellow spot in stamp margin above ‘W’ of Large yellow spot below ‘W’ Zimbabwe (Courtesy Narendhra Morar)

Yellow spot in ‘W’ Yellow spot between ‘B’ and ‘W’ (Courtesy Narendhra Morar)

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First Day Cover

The cover numbering comes from the catalogue produced by Geoff Brakspear.

A pictorial first day of issue canceller was produced for this issued and was used by the Philatelic Bureau. Other first day cover cancellers continued to be used at main post offices.

ZW099.1 (Zimpost)

Cover with set of stamps, placed on cover using Autophix machine and printed pictorial cancellation. 220 x 110 mm ZW099.1 (MS) (Zimpost)

Miniature sheet with hand struck First Day of Issue, Harare, cancellation

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Artwork by Lady Margaret Tredgold

Copies of preparatory artwork by Lady Margaret Tredgold, only two of which are in landscape format.

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The final artwork printouts before being sent to printers, work probably undertaken by Di Deudney.

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Related Material

Covers signed by Lady Margaret Tredgold

Bibliography:

1. “The Zimbabwean Concise Postage Stamp Catalogue”, published by Harare Stamp Company, edited by Ken Allanson, Mike Amos and Geoff Brakspear. The catalogue continues to be updated and expanded by Geoff Brakspear 2. Zimbabwe Post, Philatelic Bureau Bulletin No 6 of 2002 3. “The Artwork of Margaret Tredgold and more”, Rhodesian Study Circle Journal, July 2018, RSCJ 269, pages 178-184

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