474 LVIII, LYTHRACEE (HIERN). [ Nes@a. 
very short lid and longitudinally by 4 short valves below this lid. 
Seeds subdiscoidal, concave on one side, convex on the other. 
Lower Guinea. Angola, Pungo Andongo, fl. and fr. March and April, Dr. 
Welwitsch ! 
Grows in marshy places, by rivers or cool springs. 
8. IN. radicans, Guill. et Perr. Fl. Seneg. 306, t. 70. Glabrous or 
nearly so. Stem decumbent, rooting and aquatic at base, or in drier 
places suberect, slender, varying in length up to 4 ft. Leaves opposite, 
elliptic or obovate-lanceolate, rounded pointed or acute at apex, rounde 
or narrowed at base, shortly stalked or subsessile, 1-2 in. long. Inter- 
nodes equal to or exceeding the leaves. Flowers capitate, shortly 
edicelled, 5- or 6-parted. Peduncles in well-developed specimens 
onger than the leaves, as long as or longer than the internodes, slender. 
Heads usually with 3, sometimes 2, broadly cordate venose imbri- 
cated bracts and linear-acute bracteoles. Bracteoles 1-veined, gla- 
brous, with scarious margins. Calyx 10- or 12-veined, glabrous, 
cornua longer than lobes, ciliate at least at apex. Petals as long as 
calyx, rose-coloured, very fugacious. Stamens twice as many 
calyx-lobes, inserted at same level near bottom of calyx-tube, those 
opposite the calyx-lobes rather the longer, all exceeding the calyx. 
Ovary 2- or 3-celled, included in the calyx-tube; style long; sugms 
small, capitate or punctiform. 
Upper Guinea. Senegal, Perrottet! fl. from October to March. 
Lower Guinea. Angola, Mossamedes, fl. July, Dr. Welwitsch ! 
Grows by river banks or in marshes. 
9. N. floribunda, Sond. Fl. Cap. ii. 517.. Stem and branches 
patently pubescent or subglabrous, subterete, 1-2 ft. high, or in ary 
places Pan 2 in. high upwards. Leaves elliptic, blunt or pointed at 
apex, narrowed or rounded but not cordate at base, sessile, opposite, 
with appressed pubescence or subglabrous, 1-2} in. long, or in sm 
plants from # in. long. Peduncles shorter than leaves and internodes, 
2} in. long. Capitula solitary, having 2 opposite imbricated brea 
ovate subcordate sighs at base; bracteoles oblong or linear, ciliated. 
Calyx with glabrous tube except at top and 4—7 short deltoid pubes- 
cent lobes and as many erect longer ciliate cornua. Petals as many 
as calyx-lobes, caducous, purple (?), shorter than calyx. Stamens 2% 
many or twice as many as calyx-lobes, arising from some level at about 
middle of interior of calyx-tube. Ovary 3- or 4-celled. eae 3- or 
4-valved, dehiscing septifragally at apex; placenta ovoid or com> 
pressed, thick, lobed. 
Mozamb. Distr. Zanzibar! 
South Central. Victoria Falls, Dr. Kirk! 
Lower Guinea. Angola, Mossamedes (small plant in flower in August), Dr. 
Welwitsch! ° 
This species occurs also in South Africa. Grows in sandy places by river banks. 
10. N. erecta, Guill. et Perr, Fl. Seneg.305. Erect or ascending, 
subglabrous, with quadrangular stem and branches, 24-10 in. high. 
