Lecanthus.] CXXIIIp. URTICACEH (Rendle). 277 
to elliptic-ovoid, 2-3 lin. long.—Engl. Hochgebirgsfl. Trop. Afr. 194 
(pedunculatus). Lecanthus Wightii, Wedd. in Ann. Sci. Nat. 4me 
sér. i. 187, and Monogr. Urtic. 280, t. ix. C; Hook. f. in Journ. 
Linn. Soc. vii. 216 (Leianthus) and in Fl. Brit. Ind. v. 559. L. major, 
Wedd. in Ann. Sci. Nat. Le. L. Wallichit, Wedd. l.c. Procris 
peduncularis, Wall. Cat. no. 4634 (name only); Royle, Ilustr. t. 83. 
P. obtusa, Royle, l.c. Elatostema opposttifolium, Dalz. in Hook. 
Journ. Bot. iii. 179 (1851). E. ovatum, Wight, Ic. t. 1985. 
Upper Guinea. Fernando Po, 7500 ft., Mann, 1461! Cameroons: Buea, 
6000-7000 ft., Preuss, 1034 ! 
Nile Land. Abyssinia: near Asega, Schimper, 637 ! 
Also from India and Malaya to New Guinea and the Philippines, 
The three specimens recorded above are widely different in appearance. The 
Abyssinian are small plants less than 2 in. high, with a single slender unbranched 
stem, and a few leaves. That from Fernando Po has several erect slender 
branching leafy stems, 2-3 in. high, springing from a densely rooting creeping 
underground stem. The Cameroons plant has tal] erect rather stout stems, up 
to 10 in. high, and is in every way a much larger plant. 
9. ELATOSTEMA, Forst.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Pl. iii. 386. 
Flowers moncecious or dicecious, in generally dense bracteate 
unisexual cymose heads; receptacle, especially in the female, 
generally ultimately discoid or lobed. Male: Perianth 4—5-partite ; 
segments membranous or almost hyaline, slightly imbricated, 
generally with a small dorsal mucro or appendage beneath the apex. 
Stamens 4-5. Ovary rudiment small. Female: Perianth of 3-5 
small segments, or obsolete. Staminodes small and scale-like, or 
absent. Ovary erect, ovoid ; stigma sessile, penicillate, soon falling ; 
ovule erect from the base. Achene ovate or ellipsoid, somewhat 
Compressed, invested at the base with the perianth (when present) ; 
pericarp often striated or punctate, brown, thin. Seed conforming 
to the pericarp ; testa membranous ; endosperm generally absent ; 
cotyledons elliptic—Annual or perennial herbs, more rarely woody 
below, glabrous or pubescent. Leaves alternate by suppression of 
One in each pair, sessile or shortly stalked, in two rows, unequal- 
sided, the narrower side facing the top of the stem or branch, 
generally acuminate or acute, base very unequal, margin generally 
serrate, rarely entire, usually 3-nerved, generally with numerous 
linear cystoliths on the upper face. Stipules united, intrapetiolar, 
entire, generally lanceolate. Inflorescences small, axillary, sub- 
Sessile or stalked, formed of congested dichotomous cymes the rhachis 
of which unites to form the receptacle, which is surrounded by an 
involucre of bracts; inner bracts and bracteoles narrower and 
smaller. Male flowers soon falling, sessile or stalked, each generally 
invested by a rather broad bract, Female flowers generally stalked 
