Myrianthus.]  oxxutc. Moracna (Rendle). 231 
branches of the last few grades which they generally cover with a 
continuous mass ; bracteoles associated with the flowers somewhat 
similar to but narrower than the perianth-segments. Female : 
Peduncle short. bearing a spherical head of crowded flowers, among 
which are narrower shorter bracteoles ; peduncle increasing in length 
and thickness in fruit. 
Species 10 in Tropical Africa, chiefly western. 
Perianth of the female flower becoming thicker above. 
Receptacle much enlarged in fruit (Sect. Eumy- 
rianthus). 
Male flowers more or less completely covering the 
short branchlets of the ultimate grades of the 
inflorescence. Leaves with 5-7 leaflets. 
Leaflets sessile or subsessile ; a tree wee co «1. Af. arboreus. 
Leaflets distinctly stalked ; a shrub or small tree. ae 
Teaf-margin sharply serrate-dentate ... .. 2. M. gracilis, 
Leaf-margin entire oe . 3. M. elegans. 
Median leaflet shortly stalked, the others sessile... 4. M. Laurentii. 
Male flowers in subglobose clusters which do not 
coalesce to form a continuous covering of the 
branchlets of the inflorescence ... ee oe 
Perianth of the female flower ovoid, tapering above. 
Receptacle only slightly enlarged in fruit (Sect. 
Dicranostachys). 
‘aves entire or 3-lobed (sometimes divided into 
sessile or subsessile leaflets in M. Holstii). 
Branchlets of male inflorescence of highest grades 
covered with a continuous mass of flowers. 
Female flowers 7-15. Western species. 
A tree ; leaf-base acute to obtuse... 6. M. serratus, 
A shrub or small tree; leaf wedge-shaped 
below, with truncate base . at 
. M. Preussii. 
ot 
7. M. cuneifolius. 
Female flowers 20 or more. Eastern species... 9. M. Holstii. 
Male flowers in oblong or roundish clusters on fe 
the ultimate branchlets po nee .. 8. M. libericus. 
Leaves with 5-8 distinctly stalked leaflets ... ... 10. M. Talbotii. 
The species numbered 2 to 5 are based on material from male plants only ; I 
Ve seen no specimens and have followed the authors of the species in including 
them in the section Eumyrianthus. 
1. M. arboreus, P. Beauv. Fl. Owar. i. 17, t. 11. A small or large 
tree 64-65 or 80 ft. high,—‘‘ 20-25 ft. high, with the trunk 1}-2 ft. 
in diam. at the base, branching shortly above the base, with spread- 
ing branches ” (Welwitsch); branchlets and petioles bearing soft 
short hairs with longer hairs intermixed, branchlets cylindrical, inter- 
nodes 1}-2 in. long, }-1} in. thick, when young containing a soft pith 
in which as in the primary cortex are solitary large mucilage cells, 
ultimately hollow and inhabited by ants which penetrate by means 
of small openings. Leaves generally with 5-7 leaflets; leaflets 
Subcoriaceous, sessile, subsessile or shortly stalked, lanceolate 
