46 CXLIIL. COMMELINACEZ (CLARKE). [| Commelina. 
Mozamb. Dist. German East Africa: Kilimanjaro; at Marangu, 5000—- 
5500 ft., Volkens, 1244! 2324! British Central Africa: Urungu; Fwambo, Carson, 
25! Kambole, South-west of Lake Tanganyika, 5000 ft.; Nutt! Nyasaland ; marshy 
promontory of Lake Shirwa (Chilwa), Weller! Zomba Rock, Whyte! Mount Sochi, 
Scott-Elliot, 8525! Mount Mlanji, Whyte ! and without precise locality, Buchanan, 
338! Ngamiland: edge of the rivers near Lake Ngami, McCabe, 24! along the 
River Chobe, McCabe, 47 ! 
Frequent also in the Mascarene Islands and Extratropical South Africa, 
This is a very common species; and the plentiful material shows that, on the 
same plant, the length and acumination of the spathe varies excessively, and that the 
leaves vary considerably from oblong to elliptic-oblong. Where there is no fruit and 
the colour of the flowers is not noted, I have (in general) not cited the example in 
the foregoing geography. The plant is frequent in Abyssinia, and Schweinfurth 
gives many localities which are not copied here, though I do not doubt that his 
numbers are either C. africana, or one of the species following (C. edulis, C. involu- 
-crosa), which I am not sure to differ. In C. Elliotii, the capsule is noted to be 
5-seeded, but the plant is otherwise very exactly C. africaxa, in which there are 
always 5 ovules. As to Schimper, 590, it is larger than C. africana usually is in 
leaf, spathe, and capsule, and it may be A. Richard’s C. involucrosa, but, if so, I 
-fear C. involucrosa, A. Rich., is not distinct from C. africana. 
23. C. edulis, 4. Rich. Tent. Fl. Abyss.ti. 341, Leaves elliptic, not 
Janceolate ; stems and sheaths marked by a longitudinal line of hairs ; 
three interior sepals heart-shaped and equal ; otherwise as C’. africana.— 
‘Schweinf. Beitr. Fl. Aethiop. 295; C. B. Clarke in DC. Monogr. Phan. 
ili. 165; Durand & Schinz, Conspect. Fl. Afr.v. 425; Engl. Hochgebirgsfi. 
‘Trop. Afr. 155. C. beccariana, Martelli, Fl. Bogos. 87; Sehweinf. in 
Bull. Herb. Boiss. ii. Append. ii. 54. 
Nile Land. Eritrea: Mogod Valley, 4500 ft., Schweinfurth & Riva, 1608! 
Abyssinia: Tigre ; Mount Sholoda, near Adowa, 67060 ft., Schimper, 60! Wojerat 
district, Petit ; Shoa, Petit ! 
The above is condensed from A. Richard’s description. The only part of the dif- 
ferences alleged that appears distinctive is the broader !eaves. The specimen of C. edulis 
in herb. Kew. from herb. Franqueville (believed to be a piece of A. Richard’s type) 
agrees very well with the description ; the upper leaves are 13 by 2 in., more elliptic 
than as in C, africana. The spathe in this type specimen is less than 3 in. long, 
not acuminate, but hardly differs from some spathes to be found in C. africana. 
This type shows no capsule; but it is either closely allied to C. africana, or to be 
united therewith. Buchanan, 6360, from Nyasaland, and Scott-Elliot, 8525, from 
the Shire Highlands, have the leaves elliptic at the base, but they do not match 
C. edulis, and are rather forms of C. africana. 
24, C. involucrosa, A. Rich. Tent. Fl. Abyss. ii. 342. Very large. 
Leaves sheathing at the base, sessile, lanceolate, acute, pubescent and 
ciliate when young. Spathes 2-24 in. long, long-peduncled, simply 
folded, hairy ciliate on the margin.—Schweinf. Beitr. Fl. Aethiop. 2955 
C. B. Clarke in DC. Monogr. Phan. iii. 165 (excl. Schweinf. 590) ; 
Durand & Schinz, Conspect. F). Afr. v. 425. 
Wile Land. Abyssinia: Tigre; Tchelalchekenneh, Quartin-Dillon. 
No type of this has been seen ; the above is condensed from A. Richard, who was 
“ disposed to believe the flowers yellow.” Assuming the flowers yellow, and noting 
the large size of the plant, A. Richard’s C. involucrosa was probably the plant of 
