FLORA’ NIGRITIANA. 401 
laciniz breves, acute, vix patentes, intus extusque glabra, apice 
brevissime inflexo-mucronatz. Anthere parvi, versus apicem 
tubi (ad basin faucis) subsessiles, omnino incluse. Stylus 
apice dilatatus in massam oblongam vix brevissime emargi- 
natam. Capsula subglobosa, dura, 13-2 lin. longa, dentibus 
calycinis coronata, maturitate septicide bipartita, coccis apice 
breviter transversim dehiscentibus. Placente dissepimento 
peltatim affixe, crasse, carnose. — Semina in quaque placenta 
circa 15, semiimmersa, irregulariter orbiculato-depressa, testa 
membranacea in marginem periphericam hyalinam sed crassi- 
usculam nec vere alæformem dilatata. Emdéryo brevis. 
The affinity of this genus with Lerchea is evident, but 
independently of the great difference in habit and inflo- 
rescence, the fruit of Lerchea consists rather of the in- 
dehiscent cocci of Metabolos and Gonzalea than of the 
dehiscent capsules of the majority of Rondeletiee, and the 
included stamens, the seeds and placentation will supply suf- 
ficient distinctive characters between the two genera; whilst 
those indicated by Bennett as separating Lerchea from Wend- 
landia and other Rondeletiee, will also serve to separate Pelto- 
3permum from them. The. margin of the seed shows (at least 
m the dry state) an approach to the wings of some Cinchoneous 
seeds, but less decided than in several plants retained among 
letiee. The inflorescence of our genus is that of Bertiera, 
"t the carpological, as well as floral characters, are very 
different. 
1. Virecta procumbens, Sm.—Sierra Leone, Don. 
Of the Virecta multiflora, Sm., I have a Sierra Leone spe- 
cimen, but not from either of the collections now described. 
The y. paniculata, Don, from Sierra Leone, is not in his her- 
barium under that name, and probably does not belong to 
the genus. y. elatior, DC., from Angola, is unknown to me, 
and may possibly be a Pentas. 
. The Argostemma pumilum, Benn., 
m our collections. 
l. Pentas parviflora, Benth. in Bot. Mag. sub t. 4086.—Accra, 
Vogel. 
from Sierra Leone, is not 
DD 
