368 xlt. DBLA8TBACEJS (ouver). [Hipjiocratea. 



glabrous. Leaves submembranous or at length coriaceous, broadly elliptical 

 or obovate-elliptical, rather obtusely cuspidate or shortly acuminate, hase 

 broadly cuneate to rounded, obscurely- or undulate-serrulate at least towards 

 the apex, reticulation scarcely prominent, 2-4 in. long, l£-2£ in. broad; 

 petiole \— \ in. long. Flowers greenish, in many-flowered, forking, rather 

 stout, axillary cymes from half as long to equalling the leaves; bracteoles 

 minute, ovate, acute. Sepals rotundate. Petals oblong-elliptical, obtuse, 

 imbricate. Gynophore narrower than the ovary, from the centre of a flattish 

 saucer-like disk. Filaments subulate; anthers roundish, peltate after dehis- 

 cence. Ovules 2 in each cell of the ovary. Fruit-capsules oblong or oval- 

 oblong, obtuse or broadly acute, about 2 in. long, |— f in. broad. 

 Lower Guinea. Prov. Golungo Alto, Angola, Dr. Wehvitsch ! 



4. H. parvifolia, Oliv. Wholly glabrous. Leaves rather small, coria- 

 ceous, shortly petiolate or subsessile, oblong-elliptical, passing from ovate- 

 elliptical in the larger-leaved forms to narrow-oval-oblong in the smaller, 

 acute or subacute, and, except in the narrow-leaved form, rounded some- 

 times broadly at the base, obscurely serrate or entire, shining and reticulate 

 above, 1-2 in. long, ±-1 in. broad; petiole \-\\ lines. Flowers small, 

 greenish-white, similar to those of H. andongensis, in rather few-flowereu, 

 axillary, pedunculate cymes, shorter than or equalling the leaves, singly sub- 

 sessile or pedicels very short. Sepals and petals roundish, imbricate. Sta- 

 mens inserted within a rather deep cupulate disk. Ovules 2 in each cell 

 of the ovary. Fruit obovate-oblong, entire, very obtuse, 1J-1 \ i»- 



Lower Guinea. Prov. Huilla, Angola, Br. Welwittch ! 



5. H. indica, Willd. ; DC. Prod. i. 568. A glabrous climber, the 

 extremities often subquadrangular. Leaves firmly membranous or thinly 

 coriaceous, elliptical or ovate-elliptical, shortly subacutely or obtusely acumi- 

 nate, broadly cuneate or rounded, more rarely much narrowed at the base, 

 finely serrulate or subentire, 2-3|(-4i) in. long, f-2 in. broad ; petiole 

 %-\ in. Flowers small, very numerous, in axillary dichotomous cymes or 

 cymose panicles, equalling or exceeding the leaves or together forming a lax 

 leafy or leafless terminal panicle. Pedicels shorter than or scarcely exceed- 

 ing the flower. Sepals minute, ovate to lanceolate. Petals lanceolate or 

 oblong-lanceolate, scarcely acute; margins usually more or less infolded. 

 Disk annulate, inconspicuous. Ovules 2 in each cell of the ovary. Fruit- 

 carpels oblong, glabrous, obtuse or retuse, 1|-1$ in. long, 5-6 lines broad. 



Upper Guinea. Nupe, Barter! Fernando Po, Mann ! 



Lower Guinea. Fungo Andongo, and Golungo Alto, Br. Welwitsch ! 



Var. p. Leaves much narrowed into the petiole. 

 Moiamb. Distr. Rovuma river, Br. Kirk ! 



If rightly identified, the Angolan plant is an outlier of a species widely spread in conti- 

 nental and insular India. 



We have an imperfect specimen of a climber allied to 77. indica, but probably distinct, 

 with obtusely apicnlate, broadly crenate-serrulate leaves and a broad disk adnate to the base 

 of the petals, from Sierra Leone {Barter). 



6. H. apocynoides, Weho. mss. Climber with, at least, rusty-tomen- 



