222 - BYTTNERIACEE (Harv.) [ Melhania. 
Ovary 5-celled ; ovules several in each cell; style 5-fid at summit, 
Capsule 5-celled, loculicidal. Endl. Gen. No. 5348. DC. Prod. 1. p. 499. 
The 8. African species of this genus are small, half woody, slightly branched, 
tomentose or softly hairy plants, with the aspect of Hermannia, but with larger 
flowers than commonly occur in that genus. Their leaves are ovate or linear-oblong, 
obtuse at base. The peduncles are axillary, 1-2-flowered. Stipules narrow-subulate. 
In tropical Africa and Asia there are shrubby or arborescent kinds, resembling 
ain aspect. The generic name is taken from Mt. Melhan, in Arabia, where 
one of the original species is found wild. 
* Erect, with broadly cordate involucral leaflets, (Sp. 1-2.) 
1. M. didyma (E. & Z. No. 410); erect, tomentose ; leaves petiolate, 
ovate-oblong, rounded at base, obtuse or sub-acute, serrate or sub-entire, 
softly pubescent on the upper, canescent and tomentose on the lower 
side ; peduncles axillary, much longer than the petiole, forked, 2-flowered; 
invol. leaflets broadly cordate, acuminate, cuspidate, tomentose, longer 
than the densely hirsute calyx. M. leucantha, EH. Mey.! in Hb. Drege. 
Has. Winterberg and Zuureberg Mts, Z.4Z./ At Enon, and on the Kei, in 
mountainous places, Drege/ Natal, Krauss, No. 217! (Herb. T.C.D., Hook., Sond.) 
1-2 feet high, simple or branched near the root. Leaves 2-3 inches long, 1 inch 
broad, sometimes nearly entire, but generally ioe oon the under side of the 
young leaves rusty, of the older pale, with red dots. is is the largest and strongest 
of the S. African species. : 
2. M. linearifolia (Sond, in Linn. 23. p. 18.); erect, stellato-tomen- 
tose ; leaves linear, obtuse at each end, entire, obsoletely denticulate at 
the extremity, softly pubescent on the upper, tomentoso-canescent and 
rufous-dotted on the under side ; peduncles much longer than the 
petiole, forked, two-flowered ; invol. leaflets broadly cordate, acuminate, 
cuspidate, tomentose, equalling the densely hirsute, rufous calyx. 
Hab. Port Natal, Gueinzius! (Herb. Sond.) 
Stem a foot high or more, the whole plant rust-coloured. Nearly allied to M. di- 
dyma, but the leaves are much narrower, not perceptibly ovate at base, and quite 
entire, save 2-3 minute denticles at the tip. 
** Diffuse or prostrate, with narrow invol, leaflets. (Sp. 3-4.) 
3. M. prostrata (DC. Prod. 1. p. 499); diffuse or prostrate, canescent, 
thinly tomentose ; leaves broadly linear, obtuse at both ends, mucronu- 
late, entire or denticulate at the tip only, the younger minutely pubescent, 
the older glabrous on the wpper, canescent, thinly tomentose and rufous- 
_ dotted on the lower side ; peduncles 2-3 times as long as the petiole, 
_ one-flowered ; invol, leaflets narrow, ovate-acuminate, cuspidate, equal- — 
pete tomentose, rufescent calyx. Burch. Cat. No. 2153. Zey. No. 
alling the petioles, one or two-flowered : i 
lanceolate, shorter than the lanceslate ; albo-t md wn neal hee: a 
