400 CXIX. LORANTHACE (SPRAGUE). | Visewm. 
7. V. congolense, De Wild. in Bull. Herb. Boiss. 2” sér. i. 44. 
Branches subterete, 14-24 lin. in diam., slightly ribbed in a dried state ; 
branchlets slender, hexagonal, 1-1} lin. in diam. 1 ft. below the apex ; 
internodes 3-3 in. long. Leaves elliptic or ovate-elliptic, rounded or 
very obtuse at the apex, abruptly and shortly cuneate into the base, 
1-3 in. long, 3-2 in. broad, coriaceous, glabrous, 3-nerved from the 
base ; nerves slightly but distinctly raised on the upper surface, less 
distinct on the lower; petiole 1-24 lin. long. Cymules axillary, 
solitary or fascicled, peduncled, 3-5-flowered ; flowers dicecious (Bates), 
tetramerous. Male cymule: Peduncle rather stout, broadened into the 
base, 3-1} lin. long, produced }-3 lin. beyond the bracteal cup. Bracteal 
cup crescent-shaped in outline, 14-2 lin. long; bracts ovate or broadly 
ovate, obtuse, 3-3 lin. long, glandular-ciliolate; pedicels } lin. long. 
Flower-bud ellipsoid, subacute, 1} lin. long. Receptacular tube }-$ lin. 
long. Petals subequal, deltoid-ovate, acute or subacute, J lin. long, 
2-4 lin. broad at the base, the two outer separated }-} lin. from each 
other at the apex. Anthers of two sizes, the smaller broadly elliptic, - 
3-§ lin. long, the larger elliptic-oblong, 3-1} lin. long. Female cymule: 
Peduncle 1-14 lin. long, slightly broadened at the base, produced 43 
lin. beyond the bracteal cup. Bracteal cup at first boat-shaped, after- 
wards crescent-shaped in outline, 13-1{ lin. long; bracts ovate, obtuse, 
or, more rarely, acute, lin. long, glandular-ciliolate ; pedicels about 
3 lin. long. Receptacle subcylindric or more or less broadened upwards, 
1-14 lin. long. Caiyx present as a mere rim, inside which the petals 
are inserted. Petals ovate, obtuse or subacute, 3—% lin. long, 3-} lin. 
broad. Style compressed-tetragonal, nearly 4 lin. long including the 
stigma. Berry shortly pedicelled, ellipsoid, 3-33 lin. long, 2-2} lin. 1n 
diam., smooth, translucent ; pedicel about 4 lin. long.—Miss. E. Laurent, 
79. V. Staudtii, Engl. in Eng). Jahrb. x}. 541. 
Upper Guinea. Cameroons: Great Batanga, Bates, 320! Ledermann, 238 ! 
Lolodorf, Staudt, 352! 425! 
Lower Guinea. Lower Congo: Kisantu, Gillet, 382! 573. 
South Central. Belgian Congo: Aruwimi District; Barumbu, Laurent ; 
Kasai District; Mange, Laurent. 
Staudt, 352, quoted by Engler (1.c.) under V. grandifolium evidently belongs 
V. congolense, 
8. V. grandifolium, Zngl. in Engl. Jahrb. xl. 540. Branches 
terete or subterete, 14-2} lin. in diam., slightly ribbed in a dried state 5 
branchlets slender, at first hexagonal, soon becoming subterete, finely 
ribbed, about 1} lin. in diam. 1 ft. below the apex ; internodes }-2$ 1- 
long. Leaves elliptic or ovate, oblique or not, narrowed or shortly 
acuminate to an obtuse or acute apex, cuneate into the base, 2-3} in- 
long, 1-1} in. broad, coriaceous, glabrous, 3-nerved from the base, 
margin crispate in a dried state; nerves slightly but distinctly raised 
on the upper surface, usually less distinct on the lower except towards 
the base, where they are prominent; petiole 14~3 lin. long. Cymules 
axillary, peduncled; flowers diecious, tetramerous. Male cymules 
solitary or geminate, 5-6-flowered, Peduncle rather stout, slightly 
