42 CVI, AMARANTACEH (BAKER AND CLARKE).  [Sericocoma. 
tropical. Lopriore says that S. pungens, Fenzl, has glabrous brown branches (but 
the South African examples have not), and makes S. leucoclada, Lopr., a new 
species because it has white-silky branches. 
2. S. capitata, Mogquin in DC. Prodr. xiii. ii. 308. A harsh, 
small, nearly glabrous shrub, repeatedly branching ; branches alternate. 
Leaves all alternate, }—1 by ;'; in., linear, obtuse. Inflorescences ter- 
minal, short-peduncled ; spikes cylindric, 1-14 in. long, or subcapitate. 
Perianth } in. long, greatly overtopped by the long straight hairs on 
its segments. Staminodes very short, obtuse. Ovary glabrous; style 
long.—Schinz in Engl. & Prantl, Pflanzenfam. iii. 1A, 107. Calicorema 
capitata, Hook. f. in Benth. & Hook. f. Gen. Pl. iii. 31, 35; Schinz in 
Bull. Herb. Boiss. v. Append. iii. 66. rua (Arthrerua) Pechuelit, 
O. Kuntze in Jahrb. Konig]. Bot. Gart. Berlin, iv. 272. 
Lower Guinea. German South-west Africa: Hereroland; Namib, Fleck, 
677, Luederitz, 3, Stapff! Rehoboth, Fleck, 876. Dammaraland, Een ! 
Also in South Africa. 
Imperfectly known species. 
3. S. ? alternifolia, (’. 2. Cl, Leaves petioled, alternate, elliptic or 
oblanceolate, $ by in. Inflorescences 2 in. long; partial inflorescences 
of 3 fertile and 4 sterile (short-aristate) flowers. Perianth } in. long. 
Staminodes (intermediate processes of the staminal tube) wanting. 
Ovary obovoid, glabrous; style linear, with 2 short branches. In 
fruit, the thorny points of the sterile flowers grow out and the partial 
inflorescence becomes very hard.—Centema alternifolia, Schinz in Bull. 
Herb. Boiss, iv. 419, 
Mozamb. Dist. German East Africa: South Masai Steppe, Stuhlmann, 4287 ! 
The fruits of this plant are } in. in diam., spinose, the bracteoles very rigidly 
united with the fertile perianth—in a word, typically that of Centema. The 
broad leaves and curved branches do not suit Centema. As there are no stami- 
nodes, it cannot be put into Centema without setting that point aside, which would 
necessitate a reconstruction of the existing scheme of Amuaranthaceous genera. 
Perhaps the most feasible resource might be to make it a monotypic genus, next to 
Sericocoma, ’ ; 
9. CYATHULA, Lour. (partly) ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen, Pl. iii. 31. 
Partial inflorescences of clustered fertile and sterile flowers; bracts 
of the sterile or rudimentary flowers ending (some of them) in strong 
hooked spines. Inflorescences globose, cylindric or linear, dense, oF 
interrupted at the base. Perianth with long fine hairs; segments 9; 
lanceolate, often mucronate. Filaments 5, with interposed staminodes ; 
anthers 2-celled. Ovary obovoid, glabrous; style longer than the ovary; 
stigma very small; ovule 1, suspended from a basal funicle. Capsule 
thin; seed ellipsoid, flattened; embryo curved.—Herbs or small 
shrubs, hairy. Leaves opposite, entire, elliptic-ovate or obovate. 
Inflorescences terminal. 
Species 15, in the warmer parts of Africa, Asia, and South America. 
