Bomber/a.] xxvi. sterculiace^: (masters). 229 



7. D. Schimperiana, Rich. Fl. Abyss, i. 73. A tall tree. Leafstalks 

 3-5 in. long, covered with rufous spreading villi, as are also the disk and 

 the prominent nerves of the leaf; blades 4-6 in. long, 3-4 in. wide, cordate, 

 oblong, acuminate, dentate, palmately 5-9-nerved, downy on both surfaces. 

 Stipules lanceolate, acuminate. Peduncles terminal and axillary, 1-2 in. 

 long, much shorter than the petioles ; pedicels numerous, umbellate, nearly 

 as long as the peduncles. Bracts oval or oblong, acute, caducous. Flower- 

 buds oblong-ovoid. Flowers large. Sepals lanceolate, reflexed. Petals 

 longer than the sepals, broadly obovate, oblique, tapering at the base. Sta- 

 mens united at the base for less than half their length. Style hairy at 

 the base ; stigmas included. — Xeropetalum hirsutum, Hochst. PI. Schimp. 

 Abyss. 



Nile Land. Abyssinia, Schimper ! 



A handsome species with large leaves, the disk of which at the junction with the petiole 

 is marked with a patch of rufous hairs. 



8. D. Bruceana, Rich. FL Abyss, i. 77. A tree with glabrous shoots. 

 Petioles 1-3 in. long, glabrous, shorter than the leaves, which are cordate, 

 oblong, acuminate, dentate, palmately 5-7-nerved, scabrous above, stellate- 

 tomentose below, 2-4 in. long, 2-3 in. wide. Stipules lanceolate, cadu- 

 cous. Peduncles axillary and terminal, downy, as long as the petioles, simple 

 or 2-fid, bearing a number of slender umbellate pedicels half the length of 

 the peduncles. Bracts 3, ovate-lanceolate, caducous. Sepals downy, lanceo- 

 late, nearly as long as the broad oblique petals. Stamens united for rather 

 less than half their length. Style hairy ; stigmas 5, revolute, often exserted. 

 Capsule oblong, depressed, villose, loculicidally 3-valved ; valves obtuse. — 

 "TFalkuffa," Bruce, Voy. tab. 20. Xeropetalum Brucei, Hochst. in PI. Schimp. 

 A byss. 



Nile Land. Abyssinia, Schimper ! 



7. MELHANTA, Forst. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. i. 222. 



Bractlets of epicalyx 3, persistent, unilateral. Sepals 5. Petals 5, con- 

 volute, marcescent. Fertile stamens 5, alternating with an equal number of 

 staminodes, all combined below into a shallow cup. Anthers extrorse, cells 

 parallel; connective thick. Ovary sessile, 5-celled; cells with 1 or many 

 ovules. Style short, dividing above into 5 liguliform stigmatic branches. 

 Capsule loculicidal. Seeds albuminous. Cotyledons folded, 2-parted ; 

 radicle inferior. — Herbs or undershrubs covered more or less densely with 

 stelliform tomentum. Leaves ovate or roundish. Peduncles simple or 

 cymose, remote or crowded at the ends of the branches. Bractlets broad or 

 narrow, so arranged that the odd one is farthest from the axis, the two lateral 

 ones having usually the edges that are next the axis turned outwards. 

 Flowers yellow. Petals rarely unfolding and only for a short time. 



The species of the genus are distributed in the wanner parts of Africa, Asia, and Aus- 

 tralia. The African species have most in common with the Indian ones. 

 Seeds 1 or 2 in each cell of the capsule. Bracts reniform .... 1- * bracleosa. 

 Seeds more than 2 in each cell of the capsule. Bracts not remform. 



