404 XLIIT. AMPELIDEJ2 (BAKEK). [Fitis. 



Upper Guinea. Island of St. Thomas, Br. Welwitsch I Fernando Po, Mann I 

 Climbs to a height of 6 ft. and flowers in June. Leaves nearly as thin as those of V. gra- 

 cilis and the stem perhaps the feeblest of all the species. 



45. V. gracilis, Quill, et Terr. Fl. Seneg. i. 134 (Cissus). Stem weak, 

 wide-climbing, slender, glabrous, angular, sulcate. Petioles 2-4 in. long, 

 slender, herbaceous, angular, glabrous. Tendrils long and fine. Leaves with 

 3 or 5 leaflets, the petiolule of the central one 1 in. long, of the lateral ones 

 rather shorter and forked near the apex, terminal leaflet ovate-oblong, 3-5 in. 

 long, lf-2 in. broad, the point acute, the edge irregularly not deeply inciso- 

 crenate, the base rounded or cordate, the lateral ones smaller, often unequal- 

 sided, the basal pair, when present, often very small, colour shining green, tex- 

 ture thinly membranous, both sides glabrous. Flowers in copiously-branched 

 lax glabrous cymes, 1-4 in. broad. Peduncles 1-4 in. long, slender. Ulti- 

 mate pedicels £ line long, slender. Calyx green, cyathiform, \ line broad. 

 Corolla subglobose. Petals 4, \ line long. Stamens 4, about half a3 

 long as the petals. Style very short. Ovary round, naked, 2-celled, each 

 cell 2-ovulate. Berries globose, glabrous, green, i-f in. each way.— &**>'* 

 mbdiaphana, Steud. ; A. Rich. PI. Abyss, i. 110; Walp. Ann. ii. 230. 

 0. membranacea, Hook. f. PI. Nigrit. 266. O. bigemina, Harv. Fl. Cap. i- 

 253. 



Upper Guinea. Senegambia, Perrotlet ! Fernando Po, T. Vogel! Mann! 

 Lower Guinea. Congo and Angola, Br. Welwitsch I 

 Nile Land. Gallabat, Schweinfurth ! Abyssinia, Schimper ! Billon ! 

 Mozamb. Distr. Zambesi, between Tette and Lupata, Br. Kirk t 

 A widely diffused plant, with thin shining leaves and a very weak stem, flowering in J une • 

 Stems 12-15 ft. long, Extends southwards to Natal. 



46. V. intricata, Baker. Stem rather woody, but slender, branched and 

 climbing profusely, glabrous, sulcate. Petioles 1-2 in. long, glabrous. Ten- 

 drils copious. Leaves with 3 or 5 leaflets, the axillary petioles, when forked, 

 branching quite at the apex ; terminal leaflets ovate-oblong, 2-3 in. long, 

 about 1 in. broad, the apex pointed, the edge sharply but not deeply toothed, 

 the base rounded, the petiolule i-| in. long, the 'lateral ones similar but 

 smaller, texture firmly membranous, both sides glabrous. Plowers in panicles 

 4-6 in. broad, composed of several thyrsoid or subcorymbose branches. 

 Pedicels 1-2 lines long, glabrous. Calyx £ line broad, cyathiform, slightly 

 lobed, glabrous. Corolla green, subglobose. Petals and'stamens 4. Stye 

 very short. Pruit green, globose, juicy, \-\ line each way, with two small 

 bony seeds. 



Nile Land. Banks of the White Nile, Pethenck ! 



Resembles V. adenocaulis in general habit and the shape and texture of the leaves, W 

 the corolla is very different and the lateral petioles fork at the point. " Called LeaJ o] 

 the Arabs." 



47. V. tenuicaulis, Hook. f. Fl. Nigrit. 266 (Cissus). Stem weak, 

 wide-climbing, herbaceous, slender, angular, deeply sulcate, only slightly pu- 

 bescent about the nodes. Petioles 1-2 in. long, spreading, weak, herbaceous, 

 glabrous. Tendrils copious, slender. Leaves, except at the apex of the shoots, 

 with 5 leaflets, the lateral petioles branched above the middle ; termw 



