NEW AFBIOAN PLANTS. 51 



anguste oblonga, apice subacuta. Petala circiter 7 lin. longa, caly- 

 cem dimidio superantia in unguem linearem decurrentia. Frnctus 

 cylindraceiis validus ad apicem divaricatim bicuspidatus stigmate 

 persistente, ^ poll. loiigus, aduUior ad caulem appressus intus inter- 

 qu^eque semina transverse septatus. 



Hab. Somaliland, Sibe. In flower and fruit, Aug. 1894, Dr. 

 Donaldson Snnth. 



This plant seems intermediate between the genera Mathioht &ud. 

 Morettia. In the structure of the flowers and in the inflorescence 

 its affinity is with the former, while, as will be seen, in some of the 

 fruit-characters the affinity is with the latter. 



A branching shrub with pale brown cortex. Leaves obovate or 

 oblong, covered on both sides with a close cinereous stellate 

 tomentum, ^-f in. long; lamina gradually narrowing to the base, 

 leaving hardly any petiole. Flowers racemose, congested near the 

 apex, lax below. Sepals narrow, oblong, covered externally with a 

 cinereous pubescence. Petals about 7 lines long, lamina oval, 

 claw linear, 4-5 lines. Longer stamens about 4 lines long, shorter 

 nearly 3 lines ; anthers basifixed. Siliqua about | in. long, between 

 each seed transversely septate. Seed reniform, reddish. 



This plant is allied to Matldula elliptica E. JSr. It differs in its 

 much shorter, strongly bicusped siliqua. Mathiola Smithii is also 

 closely allied to Morettia Revoili Franchet {Sertum Somalense, 

 t. i.). The longer stamens are not joined as in that plant, and 

 the latter does not seem to have a divaricately bicusped siliqua. 



Reseda somalensis Baker fil., sp. n. Caules sesquipedales 

 vel bipedales erecti stricti subteretes pallide virides parce ramosi, 

 foliosi inferne Iteves, superne pubescenti-glandulosi. Folia omnia 

 indivisa ovata vel ovato-lanceolata obtusa glabra in petiolum 

 attenuata. Flores numerosi, racemum formantes. Pedicelli flori- 

 geri 11 lin., vel apicem versus subnulli, fructigeri circiter 8 lin. 

 longi. Bracteae lineares. Calycis laciniae 6 deciduaB angustae, 

 petala semiaequantes vel longiores. Petala ochroleuca ut videtur. 

 Stamina 14-16. Antherae oblongae basifix^. Ovarium trimerum. 

 Capsulfe elongatfe obtuse trigonae l^ves circiter ^-f poll, longee 

 in racemo imbricatae. Semina reniformia pubescentia circiter 

 ^ lin. longa. 



Hab. Somaliland, Shebeli river. In flower and fruit, Aug. 24, 

 1894, Dr. Donaldson Smith. 



Stem suffruticose, erect, 1|— 2 ft. or possibly more, sparingly 

 branched, glabrous below, above glandular-pubescent. Leaves 

 ovate or ovate-lanceolate, not lobed ; apex obtuse, smooth, pale 

 green ; nerves subprominent below ; lamina narrowing to the 

 petiole, 2-3^ in. long, l^lf in. broad. Flowers in dense ter- 

 minal or lateral spicate racemes. The flower-bearing pedicels 

 attain a length of 1^ lines towards the base of the racemes, above 

 they are shorter ; the fruit-bearing pedicels are double the length. 

 Sepals narrow, acute, slightly louger than the laciuiated petals. 

 Stamens 14-16. The filaments fall when the young fruit has 

 reached a length of about ^ in. Ovary 3-merous. Capsule elongate, 

 contracted at the neck, imbricate in the raceme, 3-deutate. 



K 2 



