Parietaria. | CXXIIIp. URTICACEH (Rendle). 297 
into the long-acuminate tip, base rounded, sometimes emarginate, 
margin entire, varying very much in size from 1-3 in. long, 2-14 in. 
wide, 3-nerved, the lateral nerves ascending and running to about 
the middle of the leaf and parallel with the upper lateral nerves 
(one on each side), thinly membranous when dry, dark green above, 
paler beneath, a few appressed stiff white hairs above and dotted 
with numerous cystoliths, sparsely hairy beneath mainly on the 
slender scarcely prominent nerves ; petiole very slender, channelled, 
shorter than the blade, from less than } to 12 in. long, minutely 
hairy along the channel. Cymules androgynous, in pairs in the 
leaf-axils, densely to laxly many-flowered ; bracts linear-oblong to 
oblong, subacute, not exceeding the mature male flowers, hairy on 
back and margin. Flowers sessile or subsessile. Male perianth 
4- (rarely 3-) partite for about two-thirds of its length, 1 lin. in diam. 
m opening bud ; segments ovate, white with greenish acute recurved 
tip, puberulous on back; ovary-rudiment small. Female perianth 
ovoid, puberulous, about } lin. long; style short, filiform ; stigma 
protruding between the tips of the perianth-segments. Achene 
ovate-apiculate, barely 1 lin. long, polished brown, included in the 
ovoid brown perianth which separates into 4 lanceolate acute seg- 
ments each with a conspicuous midvein.—Under P. maurianica, 
Durieu, var. a erecta, Wedd. in DC. Prodr. xvi. i. 235", Hook. f. in 
Journ. Linn. Soc. vii. 215; Engl. Hochgebirgsfl. Trop. Afr. 194. 
Upper Guinea. Fernando Po: Clarence Peak, at 8000 ft., Mann, 613! 
Cameroons : Cameroon Mountain, 7000-8000 ft., Mann, 1230! 2013 ! Johnston, 
60! Mildbraed, 3434; Mfonga, Mati slope, 5500-6200 ft., Ledermann, 5895. 
Nile Land. Ruwenzori: Kivata Forest, 7000-8000 ft., Scott Elliot, 7780! 
Differs from the Mediterranean species P. mauritanica, Durieu, with which it 
has been hitherto associated, in the climbing habit and in the persistent female 
perianth which retains its original ovoid form and does not become elongated 
and tubular as in P. mauritanica. I have not seen an authentic specimen of 
Engler’s P. laxiflora, which is described from the Cameroons, the specimens are 
smal! but I think conspecific with those I have seen from the collectors cited. 
2. P. ruwenzoriensis, Cortesi in Ann. di Bot. Roma, vi. 535. 
An annual or perennial branching herb; stems sometimes woody 
below, ultimately climbing to about 3 ft. high; branches slender, 
elongated, with ascending branchlets, younger portions pubescent, 
glabrous below ; internodes 3-1} in. long on the branches, 3-5 lin. long 
on the branchlets. Leaves ovate, shortly acuminate, extreme apex 
obtuse, base rounded, sometimes emarginate, margin entire, 3-1} in. 
long, 4-1 in. wide, much smaller on the branchlets, sparsely hairy 
above and dotted with numerous minute cystoliths, pubescent 
beneath and hairy on the prominent nerves ; petiole slender, 
varying in length, generally about half as long as the blade and 
never exceeding it, to 14 in. long, hairy. Cymules short, dense, 
3~7-flowered ; bracts linear or linear-lanceolate, acute, shorter 
than or almost equal to the male perianth. Male or % flowers 
