Xyris. | CXLII, XYRIDEZ (BROWN). 15 
9, KX. Welwitschii, Rendle in Cat. Afr. Pl. Welw. ii. 68. Leaves 
3-6 in. long, 1 lin. or less broad, linear, acute, submembranous, scabrid on 
the margin. Peduncular-sheath 2-4 in. long, leaf-like, acute. Pedunele 
6-14 in. long, 4-4 lin. thick, somewhat compressed, with longitudinal 
minutely scabrid ridges. Spike about 4 lin. long, 24-44 lin. thick, ellip- 
soid when young, hemispherical when mature, several-flowered. Bracts 
2-3 lin. long, 14-23 lin. broad, elliptic to obovate, obtuse, not keeled, 
thin and scarious, becoming somewhat membranous towards the margins, 
entire, 3-nerved, translucent, light brownish-ochreous or straw-coloured, 
glabrous, with no dorsal area. Lateral sepals slightly protruding 
veyond the bracts, 3-34 lin. long, $—? lin. broad, lanceolate, acute, dull 
ochreous ; keel most minutely scabrid-ciliolate at the middle, otherwise 
entire; third sepal crimson. Corolla yellow. Staminodes shortly 
tufted, pilose. Anthers scarcely 1 lin. long, linear-oblong. Seeds 
ellipsoid, minutely umbonate at the ends, longitudinally ridged, with 
transverse inconspicuous bladder-like markings, dull black. 
Lower Guinea. Angola: Huilla; in wooded marshy meadows between 
Lopollo and Monino, Welwitsch, 2465 ! 
I do not find the keel of the lateral sepals hispidulous as originally described, but 
the central part has an exceedingly minute scabrid-denticulation, which can only be 
seen under a moderately powerful lens. 
10. &. scabridula, Rendle in Cat. Afr. Pl. Welw. ii. 72. Leaves 
3-2} in. long, }-} lin. broad, linear, mucronate at the apex, very 
minutely scabrid on the margin. Peduncle 2-6} in. long, distinctly 
striate. Spike 14-3 lin. long, 3-3 lin. thick, few-flowered. Bracts 
14-24 lin. long, 14-2 lin. broad, orbicular-obovate or suborbicular, very 
obtuse, sometimes mucronulate, entire, submembranous, obscurely and 
imperfectly 3-nerved, very light golden-brown. Lateral sepals 1}—2 lin. 
long, $—2 lin. broad, broadly lanceolate, acute, membranous, light brown 
in the apical part; keel regularly curved from the base to the apex, with 
an exceedingly narrow wing in the lower part, very minutely ciliate 
along the middle part ; interior sepals light ochreous-brown (always ?). 
Corolla-lobes rather more than 1 lin. long, scarcely $ lin. broad, obovate, 
intense yellow. Arms of the staminodes hairy. Ovary oblanceolate. 
Seeds ellipsoid, umbonate at one or both ends, almost smooth, crimson. 
Lower Guinea. Angola: Huilla; on the Serra de Oiahoia, behind Humpata, 
oo sandy meadows, which are sometimes flooded in summer, Welwitsch, 
2470! 
This species is very similar to X. affinis, Rendle, and X, humpatensis, N. E. Br., 
but the lateral sepals are much broader and different in form. I do not find that the 
leaves are rugnlose as originally described, but some of them are slightly wrinkled 
from shrinkage in drying, as is very often the case, 
11. X. humpatensis, V. #. Br. Leaves 1}-3 in. long, includ- 
ing the }-1 in. long sheath, }-1 Jin. broad, linear, acute, glabrous ; 
sheath ciliate. Peduncular-sheath 2}-4 in. long, with a leafy acute 
point 1-2 lin. long, glabrous, Peduncle }-1 ft. long, }-} lin. thick, 
subterete, striate, glabrous. Spike 2}-3 lin. long, 14-24 lin. thiek, 
