220 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



although a long-stj^led flower was not seen among the many exammed. 

 Stapf (Hook. Ic. Plant, sub tab. 2840) suggests the removal of 

 Nectaropetalum from Llnacece, which Engler thought its true 

 position, to Erythroxylacece, a suggestion borne out bj the presence 

 of the ramenta so characteristic of Erythroxi/lon on the young 

 branches of iV". congolense. Up till the present time the genus has 

 comprised four species, two each from East and South Africa, so 

 that its occurrence in West Africa marks a notable enlargement in 

 the distribution. 



Umbellulanthus, genus novum. Sepala 5, libera, integra. Pe- 

 tnla 5, hypogyna, sestivatione imbricata, sepalis plane longiora, 

 unguiculata, patentia, basi inappendiculata. Stamina 10, filamentis 

 inter sese jequialtis ima basi connatis ; antherae ovatae, inappendi- 

 culatae, loculis longitrorsum dehiscentibus. Ovarium 3-loculare, ovulis 

 pro loculi I, pendulis. >SV///i 3, a basi distincti; stigmata simplicia. — 

 Fratex scandens, fere glaber. Folia opposita, petiolata, integra, 

 glandulis translucentibus prajdita. Stipidce verisimiliter bin*, 

 minimse, fugaceae. Flores parvi, in paniculas pedunculatas axillares 

 vel terminales bracteatas ex umbellis ^^aucitloris basi squamulis jiar- 

 vulis stipatis compositas digesti. Fructus ignotus. 



Umbellulanthus floribundus, sp. unica. Planta ramulis sub- 

 teretibus sat crebro foliosis leviter scabriusculis ; foliis ovato-oblongis 

 breviter acuminatis apice acutis basi obtusis membranaceis utrobique 

 fere glabris ; jyaniculis foliis ssepe subaequilongis ; pedanculis uti 

 pedicelli gracillimis scabriusculis ; pedicellis tlores longe excedentibus ; 

 sepalis ovatis obtusis petalis 5-plo brevioribus ; petalis oblongo- 

 spathulatis obtusis margine crispulis ; ovario subgloboso glabro ; 

 stylis ovario certe longioribus compressis glabris. 



Mayumbe, Buco Zau ; Gosstveiler, 7227. 



Folia usque 11'5 x 4*5 cm., ssepius ihSxS'S cm., summa in 

 bracteas transeuntia, pag. inf. pallidiora ; petioli 5-10 mm. long., 

 canaliculati. Paniculse laterales circa 6 cm., terminalis fere 10 cm. 

 long.; harum bractese f oliacese, 1-1*5 cm. long. Pedunculus 5-40 mm. 

 long. ; pedunculi partiales ±: 5 mm. long. Pedicelli filiformes, + 7 mm. 

 long. Sepala 1 mm., petala 5 mm. long., hi dilute viridia. Filamenta 

 2 mm., antherae 1*5 mm. long. Ovarium 1 mm. long., st3di 3 mm. 



This curious plant diverges from Frytliroxylon in having no 

 appendage to the petals, but the aestivation and the stamens ^int to 

 its inclusion in this group rather than in Linacece proper. The 

 opposite leaves indicate affinity with Aneidophus, which has sessile 

 axillary inflorescences, with each pedicel bearing 4 scales at the base 

 of its flower ; in addition each cell of the ovary has 2 ovules. 



The stipules were made out only with great difficulty ; there seem 

 to be two of them on each side between the pairs of leaves, very 

 small (not more than 1 mm. long) and apparently rery fugacious. 



In one flower dissected there were but two styles, one very thick 

 and evidently formed of two coalesced, and in this case the ovary 

 appeared to be bilocular; but this was evidently an abnormality. 



