BOTANY OF SOUTHERN RHODESIA. 445 
LYTHRACEÆ. 
ROTALA LONGISTYLA, Sp. nov. 
Habitu omnino Rotale cordifolia, Baker; caules ascendentes 
e basi repente et radieante orti; foliis oblongis ternis sessilibus, 
glabris, margine integris, apice obtusis, in parte inferiore quam 
internodiis longioribus, in parte superiore brevioribus; floribus 
in axillis euphyllorum solitariis; bracteis 2 minuscule puberulis ; 
calyce exappendiculato, subtubuloso-campanulato, corollino- 
scarioso 4-lobo, lobis iriangularibus acutis, fundo annulo necta- 
rifero munito; petalis roseis, caducis, late ovatis, apice 
rotundatis, sessilibus ; staminibus 3, episepalis non exsertis ; 
ovario substipitato verisimiliter 2-loculari in quoque loculo 
pluriovulato; stylo manifeste longiusculo, stigmate capitato. 
Species R. cordifolie, Baker, affinis a qua differt foliis basi non 
cordatis, petalis sessilibus, latioribus, majoribus et stylo longiori. 
Hab. Vietoria Falls, bog edge of Rain Forest, Sept. 170. 
In this plant the stems vary in length aecording to situation, 
those of our specimen being 5-6 em. The leaves are 4 mm. long 
and just over 1 mm. broad; the flower-bracts are 1 mm. long; 
the calyx 3 mm. long to tip of segments and 17 mm. broad; the 
stamens are inserted about halfway up the tube, the filaments 
are 1 mm. long, and the anthers 4 mm. long; the ovary is 1 mm. 
long and less than 1 mm. broad, aud the style with stigma 
2 mm. long. 
A small perennial herb, forming dense patches in open spaces, 
but growing amongst grass the branches are drawn up and 
longer. It is abundant on the open grass edge of the Rain 
Forest, but does not penetrate under the trees It was not 
observed anywhere else. Rotala cordifolia, Baker, the nearest 
ally of the above, is a Madagascar plant, described in the Journ. 
Linn. Soc., Bot. vol. xxii. (1887) p. 478. A plant very similar to 
this new species (Hyles, 24) was colleeted in the same locality, 
the only difference being that the leaves are in whorls of 4. 
NESAXA FLORIBUNDA, Sond. 
Victoria Falls, bog edge of Rain Forest. Fl. Sept. 164. 
Also in Matopo Hills. 
Distrib. Widely spread in Tropical Africa, Transvaal, Natal. 
