22 .CXLIl. XYRIDEZ (BROWN). [ Yyris. 
25. &. angularis, V. H. Brown. Leaves and peduncular-~heath 
not seen. Peduncle 14-18 in. high, about 4 lin. thick, distinctly 4—6- 
angled, hollow, glabrous. Spike 3-4 lin. long, 24-3 lin. thick, ellipsoid, 
about 10-flowered. Bracts 2-2} lin. long, 1} lin. broad, elliptic, very 
obtuse, not keeled, concave, glabrous, rather light brown with a distinct 
greyish lanceolate or lanceolate-oblong dorsal area; nerves numerous, 
much reticulated. Lateral sepals 24 lin. long, }~} lin. broad, falcate- 
linear, acute, keeled, brown, paler towards the margins; keel not pro- 
duced at the apex, serrulate along the apical half, with the teeth often 
ending in a fine hair. Corolla not seen. 
Upper Guinea. Niger Territory : Nupe, Barter ! 
This species is easily recognised by its sharply angular peduncles, combined with 
the distinct dorsal area of the bracts. 
26. MR. decipiens, JV. L#. Br. in Dyer, Fb. Cap. vii. 3. Leaves 5-16 
in. long, 14-24 lin. broad, with concolorous sheaths 14-3 in. long, linear, 
acuminate, glabrous. Peduncular-sheath 5}-7} in. long, acute and 
leafless, or (abnormally ?) with a distinct blade like the other leaves. 
Peduncle 2—2} ft. long, 1-14 lin. thick, terete, sulcate-striate, glabrous ; 
pith rather loose, not hollow at the centre. Spike 6—9 lin. long, 5-6 lin, 
thick, ovoid, acute or subacute, 30-40-flowered. Bracts 3-34 lin. long, 
24-23 lin. broad, oblong-obovate, very obtuse, minutely subdenticulate, 
concave, 7—-nerved, light chestnut-brown, slightly shining, with a 
distinct oblong-lanceolate greyish dorsal area about 1—1} lin. long and 
3 lin. broad; nerves reticulate at their apex. Lateral sepals 24 lin. 
long, $ lin. broad, pale brown, linear-falcate or linear-lanceolate, acute, 
keeled ; keel winged, serrulate along the upper part. Corolla only seen 
in bud. Arms of the staminodes very short ending in dense brush-like 
tufts of long hairs. Anthers linear-oblong. Capsule 2} lin. long, 
oblong-lanceolate, subacute, trigonous.—X. laxifolia, Benth. in Hook, 
Niger Fi., 548, not of Mart. 
Upper Guinea. Sierra Leone: Samu Country, Scott-Elliot, 4220! and 
without precise locality, Smeathman ! 
Lower Guinea. Angola, Curror! 
This is the stoutest of all the African species, and the dorsal area on the bracts is 
more conspicuous than in any other. The pubescence on the keel of the lateral sepals, 
mentioned in my original description, seems to be due to some accidental disintegra- 
tion of the superficial cells in the specimens first examined, and does not occur in the 
Sierra Leone example. Since this species was described it has been discovered that 
the plants collected by Curror and labelled “ W. Africa, S. of the Tropic,” were all 
collected in Angola. 
27, X. Barteri, V. H. Br. Leaves not seen. Peduncular- 
sheath 2} in. (or more?) long, terminated by a linear acute leaf 2 in. 
long, % lin. broad, glabrous. Peduncle 14-2 ft. long, 4-3 lin. thick, 
Somewhat compressed, 2-edged, hollow, glabrous, striate (from 
shrinkage’). Spike 3 lin. long, 2-24 lin. thick, ellipsoid or ovoid, 7—12- 
flowered. Bracts spirally imbricate one above another, 24—24 lin. long, 
1}lin. broad, coriaceous, elliptic or elliptic-oblong, obtuse, entire, sometimes 
