254 CXVIII, THYMELEZACEA (PEARSON). | Octolepis. 
persistent. Petals bifid to the base; lobes linear, $ as long as the 
sepals, with margins fimbriate and closely approximating to form a 
white urceolate or subglobose tube. Filaments a little exceeding or 
twice as long as the petals, filiform above, at the base somewhat 
flattened and pilose. Style very short or twice as long as the densely 
silky-villous 4-celled ovary ; stigma subcapitate. Fruit dehiscing by 
4 spreading valves united at the base, not deciduous. Testa dark 
‘brown, horny, loosely reddish-pilose. Cotyledons thick. 
Upper Guinea. Cameroons: Ebea, Dinklage, 177! Bipinde, Zenker, 3546! 
4. O. Casearia, Oliver in Journ. Linn. Soc. viii. 161. A shrub 
‘6-8 ft. high; young branches pubescent or puberulous, at length 
glabrescent. Leaves shortly petioled, obovate-lanceolate, abruptly 
acuminate, subacute, entire, slightly revolute, membranous, glabrous, 
with venation very prominent beneath, 43-94 in. long, 24-32 in. 
broad ; petiole thick, densely yellow-pilose, 1-3 lin. long. Flowers in 
axillary few-flowered (3-4) fascicles ; pedicels yellow-pubescent, 2-3 lin. 
long. Buds ovate, about as long as the pedicels. Sepals oblong-ovate, 
obtuse, densely yellow-tomentose without, puberulous within. Petals 
bifid to the base; lobes oblong, pilose within along the margins and 
towards the apex. Filaments pilose atthe base. Ovary densely pilose ; 
style short. Fruit not seen, 
Upper Guinea. Southern Nigeria: Old Calabar River, Mann, 2306! Old 
Calabar, Thomson, 81! Spanish Gaboon: River Kongui, Mann, 1815! 
5. O. macrophylla, Gilg in Engl. Jahrb. xxviii. 144. A shrub 
‘6-10 ft. high, with slender stem; young branches densely yellow- 
tomentose, at length glabrous. Leaves obovate-oblong, long and acutely 
acuminate, narrowed at the base, entire, membranous, glabrous above, 
pilose with short adpressed hairs beneath, with venation prominent 
beneath, 7-12 in. long, 2-4 in. broad. Flowers 4-merous, dimorphic, 
white, densely fascicled at the somewhat swollen yellow-tomentose nodes ; 
pedicels as long as the flowers, densely yellow-tomentose. Sepals ovate, 
broadly imbricate, acute, very densely yellow-silky-villous without, 
glabrescent within, 2 lin. long, 1} lin. broad. Petals bifid to the base, 
loosely pilose on both sides, fimbriate, } as long as the sepals. Fila- 
ment filiform, equalling or about twice as long as the petals ; style 0 or 
rather long; stigma large, globose. Ovary very densely silky-pilose. 
Upper Guinea. Cameroons: near Mundame,; on the Mungo, 400-440 ft., 
Staudt, 608 ; Johann-Albrechtshéhe, Staudt, 838 ; Bipinde, Zenker, 3211! 
Imperfectly known species. 
6. O. congolana, Warb. in Engl. & Prantl, Phlanzenfam. iii. 6A, 56. 
A tree 20-25 ft. high. Leaves shortly petioled, alternate, oblong or 
obovate-lanceolate, acuminate, somewhat thick, glabrous, paler beneath, 
very finely punctate. Flowers small, solitary or more usually in short 
axillary few-flowered cymes. Sepals 4, free, triangular, valvate or 
