296 xxxn. geraniacEjE (oliver). \Oxalis. 



Peduncles slender, 1-flowered, exceeding the leaves, glabrous, with a pair of 

 bracteoles above the middle. Sepals 2 lines long, obtuse, with minute apical 

 glandular calli. Petals 3-4 times longer than the sepals, glandular at the 

 apex, rose-violet. — 0. glabella, E. Mey. (Sond. 1. c). 



Lower Guinea. Angola, prov. Iluilla, Dr. Welwitsch ! 



Somewhat larger than our Cape specimens ; the sepals nearly twice as long. 



3. O. caprina, Linn. ; BC. Prod. i. 696, var. abyssinica. Acau- 

 lescent or stem very short, from an oblong-ovoid bulb, covered with pale 

 shining brown scales, acute above. Leaves on petioles of 2 or 3 to 6 in., 

 sparsely pilose below, with short membranous sheaths ; leaflets obcordate, 

 with broad rounded lobes, glabrous or nearly so. Flowers about \ in. long, 

 in 3-8-flowered umbels on elongate weak glabrous or pilose, succulent pe- 

 duncles exceeding the leaves. Pedicels and sepals thinly pilose-pubescent. 

 Sepals lanceolate, rather obtuse, with linear pale orange calli. Petals 2-3 

 times longer than the sepals, purplish. — 0. anthelmintica, Rich. Fl. Abyss. i. 

 124. t. 23. 0. abyssinica, Turcz. in Bull. Mosc. xxxi. (1858) 432. 



Nile Land. Abyssinia, Schimper ! 

 A Cape species. 



4. O. semiloba, Sond. Fl. Cap. i. 350. Stem varying according to 

 habitat, short or obsolete, or in long grass erect, straight, 1 ft. or less. 

 Leaves 3-foliolate, in a terminal tuft, on long thinly pilose or nearly glabrous 

 petioles of 1-3 in. ; leaflets 2-lobate-cuneate, with ovate or ovate-oblong, 

 obtuse, divaricate lobes, sparsely pubescent or shortly pilose, at least beneath, 

 or glabrous, f- 1 \ in. broad. Flowers \ in. or less, in 5-15-flowered umbels ; 

 peduncles slender, exceeding the leaves. Sepals oblong-lanceolate, rather 

 obtuse, with apical orange calli. Petals purplish, 2-4 times as long as the 

 sepals. Styles pubescent, recurved (in Br. Kirk's figure). 



Lower Guinea. Huilla, Angola, Dr. Welwitsch ! 



Mozamb. Distr. Zambesi land, Manganya country, and Moramballa, up to 3000 ft. 

 (var. parviflora), Dr. Kirk ! 



O. semiloba is described as stemless, but we have it from within the limits of the Cape 

 flora with a distinct stem. It no doubt varies with habitat. 



Dr. TVelwitsch's specimens exhibit the attached bulbs, which are narrowly ovoid, clothed 

 with thin, shining, easily separable, membranous, brown scales. 



*5. O. cernua, Thunb.; BC. Prod. i. 696. 



I have only seen a fragmentary specimen, flowered at Kew, from seeds said to have been 

 sent home by Barter.— With or without a stem. Leaves glabrous or nearly so, on petioles of 

 several inches; leaflets 2-lobate-cuncate, with rounded lobes. Flowers yellow, about ! in., 

 in several-flowered umbels ; peduncles long, succulent, exceeding the leaves. Sepals ob- 

 long-Innceotate, rather obtuse, with apical glands, nearly half as long as the petals. 



As mistakes from the intermingling of seeds, etc., are unavoidable in cultivation, this 

 species cannot be finally accepted as tropical African. 



6. O. corniculata, Linn. ; BC. Prod. i. 692. A diffuse, procumbent 

 or ascending, branched, pubescent or shortly pilose herb, with a fibrous root. 

 Leaves very various in size, 3-foliolate, on slender petioles of 1-3 in. or 



