246 CLIV. ERIOCAULE& (BROWN). | Hriocaulon. 
rosulate, linear, obtuse and somewhat hardened at the apex, glabrous. 
Peduncles varying from 1-10 to a plant, 3-18 in. long, +—4 lin. thick, 
t-rete, 6—8-ribbed, their sheaths 1}—2} in. long, bifid or much split at 
the apex, striate, glabrous. Heads 3-44 lin. in diam., depressed-globose, 
milk-white, unisexual or monecious, the smaller male, the larger with 
numerous male flowers surrounding a few females, or the sexes inter- 
mixed? Involucral-bracts 1]-13 lin. long, 3—} lin. broad, broadly 
oblanceolate, obtusely pointed, glabrous, straw-coloured or ochreous, 
often fuscous at the apex. Flowering-bracts 1-1} lin. long, $—} lin. 
broad, spathulate- or cuneate-obovate, variably acute or acuminate, 
incurved, straw-coloured below, blackish or fuscous on the apical part, 
or sometimes entirely pale ochreous, pubescent with white hairs on the 
back, below the apex. Receptacle pilose. Female flowers subsessile. 
Sepals 3, equal, 2-1 lin. long, about } lin. broad, cuneate-oblong, obtuse, 
two of them concave, slightly hooded at the apex, the third flattened, 
whitish, slightly fuscous at the apex, bearded on the apical part with 
short white hairs. Petals 3, unequal, arising slightly above the sepals, 
the largest 1-14 lin. long, } lin. broad, the others about } lin. long, 
; lin. broad, cuneate-oblanceolate, obtuse, white, with a black gland 
below the apex, and bearded on the inuer face with white hairs; style 
deeply trifid. Male flowers shortly pedicellate. Sepals 3, equal, free, 
exactly as in the female flowers. Stipes between the sepals and petals 
very variable, {—? lin. long. Petals 3, very unequal ; the largest }—1} lin. 
long, 3~} lin. broad, cuneate-oblong, obtuse, the lateral 4—2 lin. long, 
sometimes rudimentary, spathulate or narrowly linear, all white, densely 
bearded with white hairs at the apex and on the apical part of the 
inner face, with a black gland at the middle. Anthers black. 
Lower Guinea. Angola: Huilla; frequent in swampy meadows around 
Lopollo, Welwitsch, 2452! in somewhat spongy meadows on the highest parts of 
Morro de Lopollo, Welwitsch, 24528! on the high spongy slopes of Serra de 
Oiahoia, in the Humpata district, Welwitsch, 2453! near Cunene River, Johnston ! 
Mozamb. Dist. (German East Africa : lower plateau, north of Lake Nyasa, 
Thomson! Brit'sh Central Africa : Mashonaland, Bryce ! 
HE. lacteum may prove to be conspecific with Z#. Teusczii, Bngl. & Rubl., but 
the descriptioa of the latter does not enable me to identify it. 
_ 16. E. bongense, “Lngl. ¢: Ruhland in Engl. Jahrb. xxvii. 75. 
Stemless. Leaves erect or ascending, 14-3 in. long, 1-2 lin. broad, 
linear, somewhat abruptly acute or subobtuse, many-nerved, glabrous. 
Peduncles 5-16 to a plant, 3-12 (usually more than 6) in. long, terete, 
6—T-ribbed in the dried state, glabrous, their sheaths 14-3} in. long, 
acute, rather loose, glabrous. Heads 21—4 lin. in diam., at first sub- 
globose, becoming somewhat ovoid, monwecious, with the sexes inter- 
mixed, light straw-coloured, slightly shining. Involucral-bracts 13-1? 
lin. long, ?—14 lin. broad, obovate or obovate-oblong, obtuse, apiculate 
or subacute, concave, somewhat membranous at the margins, light 
straw-coloured, glabrous. Flowering bracts 14-13 lin. long, } lin. 
broad, cuneate-oblong or narrowly oblanceolate, acuminate or cuspidate- 
acute, incurved, thin, scarious, very light straw-coloured, glabrous. 
