FLORA NIGRITIANA. 493 
rantia), dorso dense obtecta pilis longis, cartilaginea, albida 
v. subvirentia. Filamenta haud ciliata, staminodiis quam 
filamenta multo brevioribus, plano-depressis, quadratis, ad 
angulos in appendiculos breves obtusas productis. Anthere 
oblong:e. 
The A. Heudelotii, Moq., from Senegal, and A. nodosa, Vahl, 
gathered by Isert at Whydah, in Guinea, belong to the same 
section. Of the section Cadelari there are two species in 
Senegal, the A. aspera, Linn., a common African and East 
Indian plant, and A. argentea, Lam., a North African and 
South European species. The Centrostachys aquatica, Wall., 
an East Indian plant, is also in Senegambia. 
1. Cyathula prostrata, B.—Moq. in DC. Prod. 13. 2. p. 326. 
—Achyranthes Thonningii, Schum. Beskr. p. 139.— Sierra 
Leone to Fernando Po, Vogel, Don and others. A common 
Tropical African and East Indian plant, found also in Tro- 
pical America. 
I am disposed to agree with Vogel in considering this as the A. 
Thonningii of Schumacher, although Thonning omits all mention 
of the staminodia, on which account Moquin enumerates his plant 
among doubtful Pupalie. In all other respects our specimens, 
which undoubtedly belong to the common C. prostrata, agree 
perfectly with Thonning’s description, in which, moreover, the 
stamens are not expressly said to be without staminodia. 
In the generic characters assigned to this and allied genera, 
there appears to be a slight inaccuracy in the expression “ Flores 
Subternati, intermedius fertilis, laterales steriles demum 1n 
aristas uncinatas (glochides) mutati." Whereas, in Cyathula 
prostrata, the total number of glochides is usually from 14 to 
20 on each side of the fertile flower, the number of flowers, 
Perfect or rudimentary, forming the fascicle, is at least seven; 
the central one is perfect and fertile; the next in order, one on 
each side, are sometimes complete in their parts, although 
sterile, sometimes more or less reduced, occasionally with the 
sexual organs rudimentary or obsolete, and the sepals reduced 
to two or three glochides ; the remaining four flowers, one on 
each side of each of these lateral flowers, are without sexual 
