Hemprichia.} xxxvi. burseracea; (oliver). 329 



Specimens under this name are distributed by Dr. Schweinfurth, collected on the coast of 

 Nubia. The leaves are clustered at the extremities of the branches or scattered on barren 

 shoots, all 3-foliolate, more or less shortly or subscabrid-pubescent ; leaflets obovate or the 

 smaller lateral ones obliquely ovate, usually obtuse, crenate-serrulate ; the median li-2 in. 

 long, narrowed to the petiolule. Calyx 4-h'd, pubescent. Petals valvate in aestivation. I 

 have not had material for satisfactory analysis of the flower. The fruits are ovoid-globose, 

 pnberulous, on peduncles of £-f in. ; the epicarp tardily separating in 2-4 valves, from the 

 bony, 1-celled, compressed pyrene, at one side of which internally are traces of the aborted 

 cell. I do not observe any indication of the dimidiate arilliform layer of the pericarp referred 

 to by Ehrenberg. This, however, is very conspicuous, surrounding some nuts sent to Kew 

 by Colonel Playfair, stated to belong to a " Copal-tree," of Zanzibar. These nuts I take to 

 be deprived of their epicarp. They are ■§-£ in. long, nearly black, smooth, and shining, 

 slightly compressed, with a marginal suture, surrounded, one-third from the base, by a red- 

 dish, fleshy, arilliform coat ; 1-celled and 1-seeded by abortion, a prominent internal lateral 

 projection marking the abortive cell. The seed is exalbuminous. Cotyledons contortupli- 

 <*te. Radicle superior. Dr. Sehweiufurth's plant I take to be a Pro/ium. Identical gene- 

 rally with Dr. Schweinfurth's plant, described above, is a distinct species (Prolium ? 

 mssambicense, Oliv.), sent from the Zambesi by Dr. Kirk, in fruit only. It may be dis- 

 tinguished thus -.—Leaves 3-foliolate (rarely sub-5-foliolate), at length glabrescent; leaflets 

 broadly ovate-rotundate, broadly pointed, subacute or obtuse, entire or faintly undulate; 

 median 3-3* in. long, 1J-3 in. broad, on a petiolule of %-\h in., lateral H-2 in. long and 

 broad, on petiolules of \-\ in. Fruits racemose from the axils of fallen leaves, broadly 

 ellipsoidal or subglobose, about £ in. in length ; epicarp tardily 2-valved. 



Order XXXVII. MELIACE^l (by Professor Oliver). 



Flowers regular, hermaphrodite or rarely unisexual by abortion. Calyx 

 4-5-lobed, -partite or -sepalous ; segments usually imbricate. Petals as 

 ma nv, free, contorted or imbricate (in the African genera). Stamens usually 

 °-10, monadelphous (in the African genera). Anthers 2-celled, dehiscing 

 longitudinally, sessile or stipitate, inserted upon or within the margin of the 

 usually lobed dentate or fringed tube. Ovary free, usually surrounded by 

 a " an nular free or adnate disk, 2-5-12-celled ; 'style simple ; stigma capitate 

 °r discoid. Ovules 2, occasionally 4-10. Fruit baccate or capsular. Seeds 

 **J or without albumen, in Carapa very large, angular, in Khaya subalate. 



irees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, exstipulate, simple, 3-foliolate or van- 

 0Usl . v pmnate, epunctate. Flowers rather small, usually cymose, in com- 

 P°«nd racemes or panicles, occasionally umbellate, fascicled, geminate or 

 Krely subsolitary. 



A large Order, common to the warmer regions of both hemispheres. Two of the Mow- 

 ISfrS? ( Ekeber ff ia ^d Khaya) are peculiar to Africa. Schizocalyx, Hochst. in Flora, 

 ' Ueila ge, p. 1, is referred to Sahadorace* by Planchon. 



Wo mple - Ovary 5-12-celled \ £""f A ' 



j-eaves 2-pi nnate 2. *Meua. 



^s pinnate or 3-foliolate. 



^geminate. Fruitbaccate 3 /l KK TZ K ' 



" v «es geminate. Fruit a capsule, dehiscing loculicidally • • •.• 4. Ikichilia. 

 vines 2-8. Staminal tube urceolate. Fruit (very large) opening ,n 



Ov^i°?i V f ,wilhtnickan K ular -Pvramidal seeds «* vt!t! 



mes J0 "14. Fruit capsular. Seeds compressed or subalate . . . 6- ahaia. 



