236 * LXX. RUBIACEZ (HIERN). [ Spermacoce. 
equalling or exceeding the ovary, shortly hairy, spreading. Corolla 
white, funnel-shaped; tube very short.—Diodia pilosa, Schum. et 
Thonn. Beskr. Guin. Pl. p. 76. 
Upper Guinea. Guinea, Aquapim, Thonning ; (? Sierra Leone, Th. Vogel). 
6. S. senensis, Hiern. Herbaceous. Branches subterete or 
obtusely 4-sided, somewhat compressed towards the extremities, of a 
straw colour, pubescent. Leaves lanceolate or elliptical, narrowed 
towards both ends, sessile, more or less scabrous and hairy above with 
depressed veins, somewhat hairy beneath, 2-3 in. long ; stipules with 
a short hairy sheath and 5-7 longer setulose sets. Flowers white, 
4 in. long, several together, verticillate ; heads } in. diam., sessile m 
the upper axils, based by 1-2 pairs of leaves ; bracteoles straw-coloured 
or reddish, falling short of the calyx-teeth. Calyx-teeth, 4, subequal, 
lanceolate-subulate, somewhat hairy, as long as the ovary. Corolla- 
tube about equalling the calyx-teeth. Anthers just exserted. Capsule 
straw-coloured, 3-2 in. long, somewhat hairy near the apex; seeds 
about as long.—Diodia senensis, Klotzsch in’ Peters Mossamb. Bot. 
. 289. 
P Mozamb. Distr. Rios de Senna, Tette, Peters! Zambesi-land, Stewart! be- 
tween Tette and the coast, and Manganja country near Soche hill, at elevation © 
3,000 ft., Kirk s 
Difficult to distinguish from Hypodematium spherostigma, A. Rich, except in fruit; 
the flowers are moreover rather smaller. 
Var. angustifolia, Aschers. ex Schweinf. Beitr. Fl. ZEthiop. p. 245. Leaves sub- 
linear, 2 by 2 in. 
Wile Land. By the Upper White Nile, v. Harnier! (a poor specimen which 
should be compared with Hypodematium spherostigma, A. Rich). 
7. S. stricta, Linn. f.? Suppl. Sp. Pl. p. 120 (1781), non Linn. 
Hb. A glabrous annual, simple or somewhat branched ranging up od 
18 in. high. Stem and branches slender, subterete below, mark 
with veined lines above. Leaves linear, narrowed at both ends, 
slightly scabrid, 1-1} in. long, sessile. Flowers small, numerous, ver- 
ticillate, in small terminal and axillary heads of 4-4 in. diam., based by 
1-3 pairs of spreading or at length reflexed leaves ; bracteoles slender, 
falling short of the calyx-teeth. Calyx-teeth 4, subequal, subala, 
puberulous, shorter than the fruit. Corolla-tube very short. | Capsule 
puberulous at the apex or rarely glabrous, small, debiscing widely. 
Upper Guinea. Sierra Leone, Afzelius! Purdie! Grant! 
Wile Land. Ukidi Forest, on low sandy ground, 2-3° N. lat. Speke and t.; 8 
Mozamb. Distr. Near ‘ Expedition Island.’ Kirk! (S. natalensis, Hochst. 5 
variety with glabrous more obtuse calyx-teeth, perhaps a distinct species.) 
A common tropical weed, at least in the Old World. 
8. S.hebecarpa, Oliv. in Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. xxix. p. 89,20" D : 
A rather slender, erect, subsimple or branched annual, ranging ™P h 
18 in. high. Stem and branches glabrous or nearly 80, somewhat j 
sided or narrowly 4-keeled. Leaves linear, narrowed at both em at 
sessile, stiff, glabrous or nearly so, scabrid on the margins, glances 
beneath, ranging up to 2 by }in.; stipules with a hairy Shei” 
$-¢ in. long and 3-5 equalling or rather longer sete. Flowers slender, 
