248 CLIV. ERIOCAULEX (BROWN). | Briocaulon, 
green when older. Leaves numerous, 3-2 in. long, 3-1} lin. broad, 
linear, obtusely pointed and slightly hardened at the apex, erectly 
spreading, glabrous. Peduncles 5-8 in. long, about 4 lin. thick, sub- 
filiform, terete, about 6-striate in the dried state, glabrous; their 
sheaths slightly shorter than the leaves, oblique at the mouth, subacute. 
Heads 13-2 lin. thick, subglobose, somewhat truncate at the base, dark 
fuscous or blackish, moneecious, with the outer flowers female. Invo- 
lucral-bracts 1 lin. long, 3 lin. broad, oblong, obtuse or subacute, 
glabrous, straw-coloured, shining. Flowering-bracts 1 lin. or slightly 
more long, {—} lin. broad, oblanceolate, very acute, incurved, glabrous, 
fuscous, with afew of the outermost straw-coloured. Receptacle pilose. 
Female flowers shortly pedicellate. Sepals 3, unequal, fuscous, glabrous ; 
the 2 lateral } lin. long, 4—1 lin. broad, obliquely spathulate-obovate, 
nearly straight on the inner margins, very gibbous-keeled on the back, 
very acute or almost awned at the apex, deeply concave, or somewhat 
hooded; third sepal slightly shorter, about 4 lin. broad, linear- 
oblanceolate, acute, nearly flat. Petals 3, unequal, arising about 4 lin. 
above the sepals, fuscous, glabrous, the largest petal about ? lin. long, 
4 lin. broad, linear-lanceolate, acute or bifid, the others shorter, linear- 
cuneate, bifid or irregularly crenulate at the apex. Male flowers 
pedicellate. Sepals 3, free, oblanceolate, obtuse, or more or less united 
into a funnel-shaped body open down one side, glabrous, fuscous. 
Petals rudimentary. Anthers black. Seeds ellipsoid, striolate. 
_ ower Guinea. Angola: Pungo Andongo, 2400-3800 ft, ; in the Presidium, 
im spongy places cn the higher rocks of Pedra de Cazamba, Welwitsch, 2442. 
in spongy rocky places by the springs on the gigantic rocks of the Priesidium, at 
Fonte de Salgado, Welwitsch, 2443! in wet places by the Cataract of Condo 
(de Estefania), Welwitsch, 2443 ! 
This is very similar to EZ, Buchananii, Rubland, but the heads are not so globose, 
heing more or less flattened at the base, and the sepals of the female flowers have @ 
rather long acutely acuminate point, whilst in E. Buchananii the point of the sepals 
is very short and never very acute. 
19, E. fulvum, V. #. Br. Stemless. Leaves numerous, ip 4 
radical rosette, 1}-2 
2 in. long, 14-14 lin. broad, linear, tapering to 42 
obtuse point, flat, many-nerved, glabrous. Peduncles numerous, 24-4 
in. long, subterete, 5-striate in the dried state, glabrous, their sheaths 
about 1 in. long, acute, rather loose, glabrous. Heads not quite 2 lin. 
in diam., semiglobese, perhaps globose with age, moncecious, buff- 
coloured, glabrous. Involucral-bracts not quite 1 lin. long, ? lin. broa 
at the apex, obovate, very obtuse, concave at the apex, spreading. 
Flowering-bracts like the involucral-bracts, but rather smaller, all bufl- 
coloured, glabrous. Receptacle pilose. Female flowers in severa 
exterior series, very shortly pedicellate. Sepals 3, very unequal, eae 
long, buff-coloured, glabrous; two lateral obliquely obtriangular, taperD8 
towards the base, deeply hooded, somewhat gibbous-keeled and about 
+ lin. broad near the apex; ventral sepal about |}; lin. broad, linear, 
obtuse, rather membranous, Petals unequal, one about } lin. long, 
“ 
3 lin, broad, cuneate-oblanceolate, notched at the apex, the other two 
