Domleya.~\ xxvi. sterculiace^e (masters). 227 



Sepals nearly equalling the corolla. 



Inflorescence shorter than the petiole. Peduncles villose . 7. B. Schimperiana. 

 Inflorescence as long as or longer than the petiole. Pe- 

 duncles glabrous 8. B. Bruceana. 



1. D. multiflora, Planch, in Fl. des Serres, t. 6, 225. lab. 605. A shrub, 

 with glabrous or downy branches. Petioles 1-2 in. long. Leaves 1-2 in. long, 

 cordate-roundish or oblong, irregularly toothed, palmately 5-7-nerved, 

 stellate-pilose on both surfaces, downy when young, nearly glabrous when 

 old. Inflorescence appearing before the leaves from the axils of the fallen 

 leaves ; cymes stalked ; pedicels numerous, as long as the petioles. Bracts 

 small, linear, caducous. Sepals lanceolate, downy or sometimes quite gla- 

 brous. Petals exceeding the sepals, oblique, cuneate, erose. Stamens shortly 

 jnonadelphous. Ovary roundish, villose, Style divided nearly to the base 

 into 5 divisions. — Xeropetulum multi/lorum, Endl. Stirp. Nov. n. 43, ex 

 Walp. Hep. i. 349. X. minus, Endl. 1. c. n. 44. Dombeya senegalensis, 

 Planch, in Fl. des Serres 1. c. ? Xeropetalum quinquesetum, Delile, Voy. 

 Meroe, 85. 



Upper Guinea. Senef?ambia, Heudelot ! 



Nile Land. Sennar, Kotschy ! Madi, Speke and Grant ! White Nile, Petherick ! 



Mozamb. Distr. Mangauya hills, Dr. Meller I 



There are so many gradations between the forms above enumerated that it seems best to 

 Unite them. X. minus has smaller flowers and partially pilose calyx. B. senegalensis has 

 slightly larger flowers than the preceding, and the calyx is covered with appressed hairs. 

 The typical B. multiflora has the largest flowers of all, and entirely glabrous calyces. The 

 amount of pubescence depeuds much on age, and is of no value as furnishing specific 

 characters. 



2. D. spectabilis, Bojer in Ann. Sc. Nat. Ser. 2. 18. 190. A small 

 tree. Petioles downy, 3-4 in. long. Leaves cordate, orbicular or oblong, 

 acute, undulate, palmately 5-9-nerved, rough on the upper surface, covered 

 with rusty or sometimes whitish pubescence ou the lower surface. Cymes 

 axillary and terminal, much branched, many-flowered. Bracts minute, linear, 

 deciduous. Flowers f in. across. Sepals lanceolate, shorter than the corolla. 

 Petals white, roundish, insequilateral. Stamens united at the base only. 

 Ovary roundish, vdlose. 



Mozamb. Distr. Zanzibar, Burton ! Manganya hills, Br. Meller ! 



The African specimens do not materially differ from those from Madagascar, which were 

 the first described. 



S. D. Kirkii, Mast A shrub or small tree ; the younger shoots, pe, 

 tioles, leaves, and calyces covered with dense stelliform tomentum. Petioles 

 2-3 in. long. Leaves cordate-ovate, acuminate, often more or less 3-lobed. 

 Lobes acute or acuminate, coarsely and irregularly crenate-serrate. Peduncles 

 axillary and terminal, longer than the leafstalks; pedicels slender, 1-2 in. 

 lo ng with spreading villi. Bractlets 3 linear-oblong, obtuse, shorter than 

 the calyx, caducous. Flower-buds subglobose. Flowers less than | in. in 

 diam., 'white. Sepals oblong-lanceolate. Petals obliquely cuneate, retuse, 

 double the length of the calyx. Filaments free nearly to the base. Ovary 

 downy. Stigmas 2-5 included. 



Koiamb. Distr. Lat. 16° S., Br. Meller! Lupata, Dr. Kirk ! 



Q 2 



