20 CONSPECTUS TABULARUM. 
lous genus of Myrsinee, and was intended to allude to the character of 
ovary which separates it from other genera of that Order. [The ‘‘ He- 
_ teropyxis” of Griffith is superseded by Boschia, Korth., adopted by 
Benth. and Hook. in their Genera Plantarum]. 
I take this opportunity of drawing the attention of my kind corre- 
spondents at Natal to this shrub, and trust they may, before long, by 
sending home specimens of its ripe fruit and seeds, enable botanists to 
come to a more satisfactory opinion on its affinities. 
Fig. 1, flowering branch; the natural size. Fig. 2, an open flower and two flower 
buds; 3, calyx, bearing the petals and stamens, opened out; 4, a petal; 5, a stamen; 
6, ovary; 7 and 8, different cross sections; 9, an ovule; all magnified. 
129. MASA ALNIFOLIA, Harv. (Myrsinee.) 
M. alnifolia : ramulis puberulis ; foliis petiolatis cuneato-obovatis 
subtruncatis penninerviis apice crenato-dentatis glabris subtus tenuis- - 
sime puberulis, racemis axillaribus puberulis simplicibus, floribus poly- 
gamis, bracteis minutis, lobis calycinis ovatis puberulis, corolla (marium) 
calyce duplo longiore. 
Hazs.—Natal, Gueinzius, J. Sanderson. Fort Bowker, H. Bowker. British Caf- 
fraria, T. Cooper. (Herb. T. C. D.) 
Descr.—A large shrub or small tree. Zivzgs, peduncles, and young 
parts in general, minutely pubescent. Leaves on 4—2 inch long petioles, 
broadly obovate-cuneate or fan-shaped, I-14 inch long, 1 inch wide, or 
sometimes more, pennineryed, usually truncate or round topped and 
bluntly toothed, but varying to pointed, the adult glabrous above, mi- 
nutely puberulous beneath. acemes longer or shorter than the leaves. 
Flowers & and 3 : the male with 5 perfect stamens and an abortive ovary ; 
the female with glandlike, minute, subsessile staminodia. Coyolla white, 
with ovate lobes; that of the male flowers larger than of the female. 
Ovary inferior, with a free central placenta and many ovules. 
This new species of Mesa is quite distinct from IL rufescens, A.DC., 
the only recorded species from 8. Africa, and seems to me to be equally 
different from any of the other species of Asiatic or Insular origin de- 
scribed by De Candolle. Its leaves vary somewhat in form, but usually, 
as represented in our plate, bear much resemblance to those of the com- 
mon alder. It would appear to be distributed pretty widely, from 
Natal to the eastern frontier of the Cape Colony. 
Fig. 1, a flowering branch; the natural size. Fig. 2, calyx; 3, male flower, front 
view; 4, petal and stamen from the same; 5, female flower, side view; 6, its corolla 
laid open; 7, longitudinal section of its ovary ; 8, abortive ovary of the male flower; 
magnified. 
130. QUISQUALIS PARVIFLORA, Gerr. ( Combretacea.) 
_ Q- parviflora: ramulis, petiolis, foliisque junioribus rufo-pubescen- 
tibus; foliis brevi-petiolatis membranaceis reticulatis ovali-oblongis 
