412 XLI1I. AMPELIDE.E (BAKER). [Vitii. 



|-f in. long, the leaflets oblong or with a slight obovate tendency, 2-3 in. 

 long, li-l£ in. broad, the point acute, the edge faintly and distantly denticu- 

 late, the base subcuneate ; texture membranous, both sides green and quite 

 glabrous. Flowers in copiously compound, stalked, thyreoid panicles, the ulti- 

 mate clusters 10-1 2 -flowered ; ultimate pedicels firm, slightly grey-downy, \-\ 

 in. long. Calyx nearly 1 line broad, deeply cyathiform, slightly grey-downy, 

 quite entire. Corolla oblong, 1 line deep, not at all constricted. Stamens 

 and petals 4, the latter reddish, permanently cohering. Style subulate. 

 Berry roundish, watery, nearly 1 in. each way, bluish-purple, glabrous, edible, 

 1- seeded. 



Lower Guinea. Golungo Alto, Angola, Br. Welwitsch ! 



69. V. congesta, Baker. Stem firm-herbaceous, slender, terete, 

 slightly grey-downy. Leaves quite sessile, sometimes opposite ; leaflets 3-5, 

 distinctly stalked, the central one obovate-oblong, 2 J— 3 in. long by about half 

 as broad, the point subacute, the base cuneate, the edge irregularly and con- 

 spicuously inciso-dentate ; texture membranous, colour bright green, lower 

 side a little downy. Flowers in copiously compound lax cymes 4-5 in. 

 broad, on short, firm-herbaceous peduncles. Clusters not bracteated ; pe- 

 dicels 1 line long, densely grey-downy. Calyx \ line broad, grey-downy, 

 not lobed. Corolla 1 line deep, constricted, downy on the outside. Petals 

 and stamens 4. Style subulate. Berries roundish, pyriforrn, £ in. deep 

 when dried, glabrous. 



Mozamb. Distr. Zambesi-land, Br. Meller I 

 Native name Kautaicana. 



70. V. Mannii, Baker. Stem wide-climbing, weak, herbaceous, gla- 

 brous, deeply silicate. Petioles 2-3 in. long, weak, glabrous, herbaceous. 

 Tendrils herbaceous, weak. Leaves with 5 leaflets, the central one obovate- 

 elliptical, 2-3 in. long, 1-1 a in. broad, the apex acute, the edge conspicuously 

 serrated, the lower half subentire and cuneate with a short petiole, the others 

 similar but smaller ; texture membranous, colour bright green, both sides 

 nearly glabrous when mature. Flowers in copiously compound lax cymes, 3-4 

 in. broad. Peduncles 3-6 in. long, weak, slender, herbaceous, the upper 

 part densely villose ; pedicels slender, villose, 1-2 lines long. Calyx £ line 

 broad, cyathiform, villose, not lobed. Corolla cylindrical, 2 lines long. 

 Petals and stamens 4. Style subulate, nearly equalling the petals. Fruit 

 unknown.— V. cyphopetala, var. occidentalis, Hook. f. in Journ. Linn. Soc. 

 vii. 189. ' 



Upper Guinea. Camaroons mountain, at 7000 ft., Mann I 

 Cyme and flowers of V. cyphopetala, but the leaves different. 



71. V. serpens, Hockst. in Rich. Fl. Abyss, i. Ill (Ci*nu). stem 

 stout, herbaceous, wide-climbing, deeply striated, thinly clothed with fine, 

 grey, glandular pubescence. Stipules lanceolate, herbaceous, f-1 in. long- 

 Leaves digitately 5-7-foliolate, sessile or with short, herbaceous, grey-downy 

 petioles, the leaflets obovate-lanceolate, the central one 4-6 in. long, H~* 

 in. broad, the point acute or bluntish, the base cuneate, the edge conspi- 



