Polycarpaa.] xvn. caryophyllace,e (oliver). 145 



ing pseudo-verticils. Stipules scarious. Flowers in diffuse or compact, 

 panicled corymbose or solitary cymes, with scarious, silvery, sometimes rose 

 or purple flowers. 



A considerable genus of the wanner parts of both hemispheres. One of the following 

 species has a wide extra-African range. The species are very difficult to define. I have 

 bestowed considerable time upon the tropical African species, aud yet must regard them :>s 

 treated provisionally. 



e P a l s lanceolate, very acute. Leaves narrow-linear or linear-subu- 

 late. 



Mowers in distinct and loosely panicled or confluent spreading cymes. 

 2-3 in. to 1 ft 1. P. corymbosa. 



flowers in small, 10-14-flowcred, capitate, divaricate cymes ... 2. P. stellata. 



Mowers m dense, hemispherical or globose, solitary or loosely 



panicled, many-flowered heads, £-1 in. diam. 1-3 ft 3. P. linearifoUa. 



epals ovate, acute. Leaves linear-lanceolate, subacute. Flowers in 



dense, many-flowered capitate cymes £-1 in. or more in diam. . . 4. P. glabrifolia. 

 e pals ovate-elliptical, apiculate, centre thickly herbaceous. Leaves 



linear-lanceolate, revolute, mucronate. Flowers fascicled. Hoary . 5. P.fragilis. 

 epals ovate-lanceolate. Leaves oblanceolate-spathulate, rosulate. 



Mowers densely fascicled. Glabrous 6. P. spicata. 



e pals ovate-lanceolate ; inner slightly longer and obtuse ; centre her- 

 baceous. Leaves linear or spathulate. Flowers single. Glabrous. 7- P.prostrata. 



!• P. corymbosa, Lam. ; DO. Prod.m. 374. An erect or decumbent 

 her o, 2 or 3 in. to 1 ft. high, often diffuse. Stems hoary-tomentose-pubes- 

 "*nt (sometimes thinly), repeatedly and often densely forked. Leaves nar- 

 row-linear or linear-subulate with axillary tufts forming pseudo-verticils, 

 Pubescent or glabrous, much exceeding the lanceolate or subulate, finely- 

 PNnted, scarious stipules ; -|-1 in. long or longer. Flowers erect, in terminal 

 Jense or rather lax, silvery, many-flowered cvmes, in the much-branched 

 ,0ll «s confluent, so as almost to hide the plant.' Sepals scarious, sometimes 

 coloured below on the median line, lanceolate, very acute, glabrous or pilose, 

 yea exceeding the petals which vary from one-third to two-thirds the length 

 / the sepals. Capsule one-half to two-thirds as long as the sepals.— P. 

 fflolia, J)C. I.e.? P. eriantha, Hochst. ; Rich. Fl. Abyss, i. 303. P. 

 Mlax a nd P. hnmifusa, J. Gay, mss. in Herb. Kew. 



JJPPer Guinea. Senegambia! ■_ , ._,_,-, 



j™ ^and. Kordofan, Kotschy ! Sennar, Htmon ; Bahr-cl-Abiad (Schweinf. et Atch. 



Jower Guinea. Huilla, Angola, Dr. WelwiUch ! 



°*«a Central. Lat. 23° S., Chapman and Baines ! 

 Y °* amb - Distr. Zambesi, Dr. Kirk ! 

 tl\tf usa - Cymes confluent. Niger, Barter! Madi, Speke and Grant! Huilla, An- 



iJr ' Welt °tocA Zambesi, Dr. Kirk ! , . , , n 



*tl L L V V tJl0ra - Erect ' slen<ler - Flowers smaller, golden-brown. Loanda, Angola, Dr. 

 Opp ' Perha P9 a distinct species. 

 lcU|, s at the Cape, also in India, Australia, and the New World. 



2 - P. stellata, DC. Prod. iii. 374. An erect or diffuse herb, sometimes 

 b !!*atedly forked from the base, sometimes with numerous, erect, slender 

 ifir v given off above - Stem shortlv tomentose-pubescent. Leaves 

 Fead, ng) narrow-linear or linear-lanceolate, glabrous or pubescent, usually 

 Dnl a , Xlllm '.V leafy tufts. Stipules lanceolate or ovate- lanceolate finely 

 H ln ted. Flowers in rather compact, small, capitate, about 10-12-flowered 



