Eriocaulon. | CLIV. ERIOCAULEZ (BROWN). 239 
d. E. Thunbergii, Wickstr. ex Kirnicke in Linnea, xxvii. 677, 
Stemless. Leaves tufted, 6—9} in, long, 2-34 lin. broad at the middle, 
broadly linear, obtuse, flat, 22-25-nerved, glabrous. Peduncles 1—2 to 
a plant, shorter than the leaves, 54-6? in. long, striate, glabrous, 
slightly punctulate, their sheaths 3-33 in. long, acuminate, at length 
bifid, lax, pellucid. Heads 3 lin. in diam., semiglobose, white-villous at 
the summit. Involucral-bracts obovate, rounded at the apex, mem- 
branous, glabrous, fuscous, darker towards the apex. Flowering-bracts 
lanceolate-oblong, acute or acuminate, membranous, fuscous towards 
the apex or entirely light yellowish, bearded on the apical part. 
Female flowers shortly pedicellate. Sepals 3, free, oblong, obtuse, boat- 
shaped, thin and membranous, hyaline-whitish, bearded above and with 
a crest of hairs at the middle of the back. Petals 3, inserted much 
higher than the sepals and equalling them, equal, spathulate-linear, 
obtuse, sparsely hairy within, white, without glands. Male flowers 
shortly pedicellate. Sepals 3, oblong, very obtuse, connate into a 
funnel-shaped body open on one side, hyaline, whitish, sparsely bearded 
on the apical part. Petals equal, small, hairy within, with a black 
gland below the apex; anthers yellowish.—Durand & Schinz, Conspect. 
Fl. Afr, v. 503 ; Ruhland in Engl. Jahrb. xxvii. 81. 
Upper Guinea. Sierra Leone, Afzelius. 
6. E. bifistulosum, Van Heurck d: Miill. Arg. in Van Heurck, Obs. 
Bot. 105. Aquatic, probably submerged. Stem elongated, usually 
rather stout, densely leafy in the upper part. Leaves 1-3} in. long, 
4-4 lin. broad at the base, filiform or almost capillary, tapering toa very 
fine point, 1-nerved, glabrous. Peduncles numerous, 14$-—5 in. long, 
4-} lin. thick, obscurely 5-6-ribbed, glabrous; their sheaths #-1} in. 
long, obtuse or bifid at the apex, glabrous. Heads 1}—2 lin. in diam., 
depressed-globose, moneecious, fuscous or blackish, often nearly glabrous 
to the eye. Involucral-bracts }—3 lin. long, }-3 lin. broad, obovate- 
oblong or suborbicular, very obtuse, membranous, varying from light 
brown to blackish, glabrous. Flowering bracts 3—} lin. long, 4 lin. 
broad, oblong-obovate or oblong, obtuse or subacute, concave, fuscous, 
with a few minute dusky or whitish hairs on the apical part, or the 
outer bracts glabrous, perhaps from the hairs being deciduous. Recep- 
tacle glabrous. Female flowers conspicuous from their comparatively 
large size, pedicellate. Sepals 3, free, } lin. long, obovate, hooded or 
very deeply concave, obtuse, enclosing the rest of the flower and form- 
ing an inflated balloon-shaped bud, membranous, blackish or fuscous, 
glabrous. Petals 3, arising close to the sepals, nearly } lin. long, ¢ lin. 
broad, spathulate-oblanceolate, obtuse, membranous, fuscous, glabrous, 
with a very minute black gland below the apex. Ovary trigonous ; 
Style trifid to nearly half-way down. Male flowers few or numerous, 
pedicellate. Sepals 3, connate into a funnel-shaped body nearly 3 lin. 
long, open down one side and obtusely 3—4-lobed at the apex, or one of 
them free, fuscous or blackish. Stipes between the sepals and petals 
nearly as long as the sepals. Petals very minute, about } lin. long, 
