30 CXLIII. COMMELINACEZ (CLARKE). | Palisota. 
leaves on the stem seen 14 by 5} in., elliptic, shortly acuminate at either 
end, more or less glabrate, but densely hairy on the margin. Inflor- 
escence 4-7 by 1-1} in., exceedingly dense, cylindric, with several 
hundred flowers; sometimes 2 or 3 peduncles together; bracts on the 
main rhachis small, concealed by the flowers ; pedicels hardly + in. long, 
persistent. Ovary glabrous. Fruits } in. in diam., succulent, scarlet, 
5-seeded. Seeds subpyramidal, nearly smooth.—Durand & Schinz, 
Consp. Fl. Afr. v. 422; Durand & Wild. in Bull. Soc. Bot. Belg. xxxvil. 
128; Hua in Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. Par. i. 118, and in Bull. Soc. Bot. 
France, xli. p. lv.; Rendle in Cat. Afr, Pl. Welw. ii. 74, excluding 
the St. Thomas’ island plant. 
North Central. French Congo: Kemo, Dybowsky ! 
Wile Land. British East Africa: Niamniam ; Boddo River, Schweinfurth, 
$054! Nabambisso River, Schweinfurth, 3697! Uganda; Kalungi, in woods, 
Scott-Elliot, 7364 ! 
Lower Guinea. Gaboon, Buettner. 163! Lower Congo: Bingila, Dupuis ! 
Mouth of the Congo, Smith! Angola: Golungo Alto; Quilombo-Quiacatubia, 1000- 
2400 ft,, Welwitsch, 6599! 66038! Pungo Andongo ; in shady valleys between the 
higher rocks, 2400-3800 ft., Welwitsch, 6603 ! 
South Central. Congo Free State: Monbuttu; Yuru River, Schweinfurth, 
3279 ! 3281! Mbula River, north of the Kibali River, Schweinfurth, 3721! Kassai 
River, Lulua River, and Sankuru River, Zaurent ! 
5. P. preussiana, XK’. Schum. (MS. 2), in Preuss, Exsicc. 996. Young 
parts shaggy with greyish hair. Stem 3 ft. long, 4 in. in diam., with 
long internodes and distant falsely-opposite leaves. Leaves 10 by 3 in., 
oblong, acuminate at either end, very glabrate except at the densely 
fulvous hairy margins; uppermost pair close to the inflorescence hardly 
smaller than the basal leaves. Inflorescence 3} by 1 in., cylindric, very 
dense with 200-300 flowers ; bracts concealed by the flowers; pedicels 
hardly 4 in. long, persistent. Ovary glabrous. Fruit not seen. 
Upper Guinea. Cameroons: Buea, Preuss, 996! 
6. P. laxiflora, C. B. Clarke. Young parts shaggy with fulvous 
or greyish hair. Stems up to 4-6 ft. high (Welwitsch), with fully 
developed leaves, pseudo-opposite or ternate at distant nodes. Leaves 
12-18 by 3} in., narrowly lanceolate-obovate, acuminate at both 
ends, when mature nearly glabrate except at the densely fulvous-hairy 
margins. Inflorescence in fruit 4 by 3 in., loose, 200-flowered ; bracts 
on the main axis few, 4—3 in. long, lanceolate ; pedicels persistent, of 
the fruits {-} in. long. Flowers white (Welwitsch). Ovary glabrous. 
Fruits succulent, } in. in diam., scarlet (Welwitsch), subglobose, 5-seeded. 
Seeds trapezoid, somewhat flattened, nearly smooth.—P. Schweinfurthii, 
C. B. Clarke in DC. Monogr. Phan. iii. 132 partly; Rendle in Cat. Afr. 
Pl. Welw. ii. 74 partly. 
Lower Guinea. Isle of St. Thomas, 3000-4300 ft., Moller, 11! in the woods 
of Fazenda de Monte Caffé, 2000 ft., Welwitsch, 6602 ! 
