48 CXLIII. COMMELINACEE (CLARKE). [ Commelina. 
acute, suddenly contracted at the base. Peduncles scattered, 1—2 in. 
long. Spathes up to 3 in. long, ovate-lanceolate, long-attenuate, very 
nearly glabrous; margins free at the base. Flowers large, “ pale yellow ” 
(L. Scott), some long exserted from the spathe ; in the dried examples 
2 petals yellow, the third smaller and brownish. Filaments } in. long. 
Capsule of the section Heterocarpus. 
Wile Land. British East Africa: Ukamba; Kitui, Hildebrandt, 2643! 
Rabai Hills, near Mombasa, Taylor ! 
Mozamb. Dist. British Central Africa: Nyasaland; Blantyre, Scott ! Shire 
Highlands, Buchanan, 285! 
This differs from all the species of the C. africana group (except C. invoiucrosa) 
by its large spathes; it is too glabrous to be put with C. involucrosa, nor does the 
leaf-base match. 
28. C. Kirkii, C. B. Clarke in DC. Monogr. Phan. iii. 167. Nearly 
glabrous. Stems 15 in. long, with internodes 2-3 in, long. Leaves 
4-6 by }-} in., linear or scarcely linear-lanceolate. Peduncles 4-1} in. 
long towards the ends of the branches. Spathes 13-24 in. long, lanceo- 
late long-attenuate; margins free at the base. Flowers yellow, some 
much exserted from the spathe. Capsule (though not seen well ripened) 
of the section Heterocarpus.—Durand & Schinz, Conspect. Fl. Afr. 
v. 426; K.Schum. in Engl. Pfl. Ost-Afr. C. 135. 
Mozamb. Dist. Portuguese East Africa: Moramballa Mountain, 1000-3000 
ft., Kirk! British Central Africa: Nyasaland; Ndirandi Mountain, near Blantyre, 
Scott-Elliot, 8498! Shire Valley, Waller ! 
Also in Mauritius. 
29, ©. boehmiana, A. Schum. in Engl. Pfl. Ost-Afr. C. 135. Stems 
12-14 in. long, pubescent at the top. Leaves upto 4 by # in., elongate- 
lanceolate, puberulous on both faces. Spathes cordate, acuminate, not 
ora ea (i.e., margins at the base free). Seeds { in. long, pitted, 
lack. 
Mozamb. Dist. 
German East Africa: Unyamwezi ; Gonda (Igonda), Boeh:n, 
12. 
K. Schumann does not mention the colour of the flowers nor describe the capsule ; 
but he says the species is close to C. Kirkii, from which it is supposed the flowers 
are yellow, the dorsal cell of the capsule indehiscent and 1l-seeded. If these things 
are not so, the species may belong to some different section of the genus. 
30. ©. Mannii, C. B. Clarke in DC. Monogr. Phan. iii. 167. 
Very sparingly hairy. Stems up to 12 in. long, weak; internodes up 
to 2 in. long. Leaves up to 14 by 3 in. (mostly smaller), elliptic, tip 
triangular and subobtuse. Peduncles few, near the tops of the 
branches, scarcely $ in. longer than the leaf-sheaths. Spathes } in. 
long, ovate, not acuminate; margins free at the base. Capsule small ; 
in each ventral cell 1 reticulated seed; in the dorsal indehiscent cell 
1 seed closely sticking to the cell-wall——kEngl. Hochgebirgsfl. Trop. 
Afr. 155; Durand & Schinz, Conspect. Fl. Afr. v. 426. 
: . ss Commelina sp.; 
Hook. f. in Journ. Linn. Soc. vii. 223. 
