418 AMARANTACE& (Cooke and Wright). [ Sericocoma. 
Engl. Jahrb. xxvii. 45. Eurotia capensis, E. Meyer ex Moquin in 
DC. Prodr. xiii. ii. 307. 
CentraL Recion: Calvinia Div.; between Lospers Plaats aud Springbok Kuil 
River, 2000-3000 ft., Zeyher, 1439! Prince Albert Div.; between the Dwyka 
River and Zwartbulletje River, Drége! Graaff Reinet Div. ; near Graaff Reinet, 
Bolus 312! 
Katanart Recion: Griqualand West; St. Clair, Douglas, Orpen, 129 ! 
Much confusion exists regarding Sericocoma Zeyheri (Trichinium Zeyheri, 
Moquin) and Sericocoma avolans, Fenzl, to both of which species Moquin has 
referred Zeyher’s 1439. In his description of S. avolans, Moquin simply copies 
Fenzl who says that staminodes are present, which is certainly not the case in 
Zeyher’s 1439 at Kew, while in his description of T'richinium Zeyheri under the 
same number, Moquin assigns the absence of staminodes as a reason for placing™ 
the plant in the genus Trichiniwm instead of in Sericocoma, Engler based his 
description of Sericocoma Zeyheri (Bot. Jahrb. x. 6) upon a plant collected at 
Kimberley in Griqualand West by Marloth, 785, in which the uvary is horned 
(and therefore a species of Cyphocarpa), and also referred to it Trichinium Zeyheri, 
Moguin, in an authentic specimen of which at Kew (as well as all the others 
cited above) the ovary is not horned. Lopriore (Engl. Jahrb. xxvii. 45) makes 
Cyphocarpa Zeyheri conspecific with Trichinium Zeyheri, Moquin, and therefore 
accepts the horned ovary described by Engler. I think that Trichinium Zeyheri 
and Sericocoma avolans should be regarded as conspecific, under the latter name. 
This will invalidate one of Lopriore’s characters of Sericocoma (viz. the presence of 
staminodes), but according to the Genera Plantarum of Benth. & Hook. f. 
staminodes in Sericocoma are sometimes absent and are said to be so in S. avolans. 
(T. C.) 
IX. CENTEMA, Hook. f. 
Flowers spicate, 1-2 hermaphrodite, with 1 or more sterile 
flowers reduced to strong simple spines thickened at the base ; 
bracts persistent; bracteoles 2. Perianth-segments coriaceous or 
chartaceous, connate and thickened at the base, ovate-lanceolate, 
acuminate, 3—5-nerved, the inner the narrower. Stamens 5, con- 
nected at the base by a membrane and with interposed staminodes, 
or in one species without staminodes; anthers 2-celled, linear- 
oblong. Ovary ovoid, attenuated into a slender style; ovule 1, 
suspended from an elongate funicle ; stigma obliquely truncate or 
shortly 2-fid. Fruit included in the perianth, membranous, 
indehiscent, not indurated at the top. Seed orbicular or oblong, 
compressed ; embryo annular. 
Erect herbs or undershrubs ; leaves opposite, sessile or shortly petiolate, linear 
or linear-oblong, entire. 
Disrrip. Species 7, 5 of them in Tropical Africa. 
An undershrub 2 ft. high ; staminodes 0 a ..» (1) subfusea. 
A herb 6 in. high ; staminodes short, 2-lobed ... (2) cruciata, 
1. C. subfusca (T. Cooke); stem suffruticose, erect, reaching 
2 ft. high, glabrous ; branches subterete; leaves opposite, shortly 
petiolate, 3-1} in. long, }-2 in. broad, oblong or subspathulate, 
subacute, narrowed and subauriculately dilated at the base, entire, 
