225 



©rtfltnal 'Mxtidt^. 



MELLERA: A NEW GENUS OF TKOPICAL AFEICAN 

 ACANTHACE.E. 



By S. Le M. Mooee, F.L.S. 



(Tab. 203.) 



Included with doubt by Mr. Bentham '''• amongst the species of 

 Hochstetter's unsatisfactory genus, PauIo-Wilhebnia,h a somewhat 

 remarkable plant gathered by the late Dr. Meller among the 

 Manganja Hills, and more recently sent home from Moramballa 

 by Mr. Horace Waller. I venture to think that it will constitute 

 the type of a new genus of which a diagnosis follows. 



Melleka [Acantliaceanim [Hi/f/rophi/mnini]), gen. iiOY. : — Calyx 

 5-partitus laciniis linearibus obtusis subaequalibus erectis. Corolla 

 tubus angustus superne ampliatus leviter incurvus limbus 2-labiatus 

 asstivatione contortus labii antici 3-lobi lobis lateralibus sequalibus 

 lobo medio iis latiore ac iDilis setosis appresse decurvis .munito 

 labii postici 2-lobi lobis sequalibus omnibus obtusis. Stamina 

 4 exserta sub fauce affixa, filamentis sub^quilongis basi per paria 

 lateralia connatis, antherarum loculis arete contiguis subaequalibus 

 oblongo-linearibus basi calcaratis. Stigmatis lobus alter fere 

 omnino obsoletus. Ovarium 8-ovulatum. Capsula oblongo-linearia 

 fere a basi seminifera ; seminum retinacula basi dilatata apice 

 angusta. Suffrutex ? fohis magnis longe petiolatis lobulatis ; 

 inflorescentia hirsuta, floribus magnis in axillis superioribus 

 fasciculatis 2-bracteolatis. 



M. lobulata, sj). unica. Caule tetragono cinereo glabrato. Foliis 

 ovato-oblongis obtusiusculis utrinque pluries-lobulatis vel argute 

 dentatis minoribus acuminatis undulatis omnibus puberulis, 

 petiolis laminam sub^quantibus vel ea brevioribus foliorum minorum 

 villosis majorum glabris vel fere glabris, bracteolis longe spathulatis 

 calycis segmentis Ihrsutulis sub^equilongis. Corolla tubo plus 

 quam 1-cm. longitudine glabro labii antici lobo medio nervoso. 

 Connectivo dorso levissime puberulo. Stylo pilosiusculo. Caj)sula 

 8- (vel abortu x^auciori-) sperma obscure papillosa. Seminibus 

 suborbicularibus compressis. 



Hab. In collibus Manganja dictis (Meller j necnon ad Moram- 

 balla (Waller). 



The plant is thus referred to by Mr. Bentham (/. c), after 

 enumerating the other species of Paulu-Wilhehniar^''^\^ forte 

 addenda est planta Zambesiana, plerisque characteribus imprimis 

 calyce et inflorescentia iis accedens, sed corolla lobi angustiores vix 



* Gen. PI. ii., p. 1080. 

 N. s. VOL. 8. [August, 1879.] 2 g 



