NEW AFRICAN PI^ANTS. 181 



at the mouth) ; the short invohicre-segments are subquadrate in 

 shape and fimbriate at the top, the glands larger and more fleshy 

 than in the bisexual cups ; in both cases the glands bear on the 

 inside a shallow transverse keel. The filaments and pedicels are 

 glabrous ; the fimbriate scales equal the latter in length. The 

 lateral cups (1 line long) bear each at the base a pair of small 

 adnate bracts ; the short involucral segments are broader than in 

 the male cup, and rounded with a slightly fimbriate margin ; the 

 pedicel of the female flower is ^ line long. 



Near E. triacantha Ehrenb. apud Boissier, but is at once dis- 

 tinguished by the four-thorned pulvini. 



Kniphofia insignis, sp. nov. Foliis pluribns bipedalibus 

 herbaceis linearibus superne sensim angustatis, nervo mediano 

 plicatis, margine minute scabridula, racemum speciosum late cylin- 

 dricum baud attingentibus ; bracteis albidis acuminatis pedicellos 

 perbreves plus triplo excedentibus ; perianthio tubuliforme sajpe 

 curvato super ovarium constricto, dentibus brevibus ovatis ; sta- 

 minibns semper inclusis, stylo exserto. 



Hab. Sheik-Mahomet, Nov. 13th, 1894, Bonaldson Smith. 



The fleshy stalk is 2 ft. 4 in. long below the raceme, with a 

 diameter at the base of about ^ in. The long narrow thin leaves 

 are 2 ft. in length, and about 6-7 lines broad at the base. The 

 raceme, which becomes dense-flowered above, is 10 in. long. The 

 pointed scarious bracts are 3-4 lines long, the flower-pedicels 1 line. 

 The perianth-tube is 15 lines long, the segments 1^ lines ; the 

 diameter of the tube in the dry state is 3 lines. The stamens are 

 about three-fourths the length of the perianth ; the style becomes 

 exserted nearly 2 lines beyond the mouth. 



Is near K. Schimperi Baker, which it closely resembles in leaf- 

 characters, but is distinguished by its much larger flowers and 

 denser raceme. 



It may be worth calling attention to the fact that Kniphofia 

 elegans Engl, in Hochgehirgaflora, p. 162, is a synonym of K. 

 Schimperi Baker, published in this Journal nearly twenty years 

 before [Journ. Bot. 1874, p. 4), and based on Schimper's Abyssinian 

 plant No. 1200 ("1863-8"), which Engler also quotes as authori- 

 tative for his own species. By a strange coincidence K. Schimperi 

 Baker is omitted from the list of Kniphofias in Schinz & Durand's 

 Conspectus, though the other species described by Baker in the 

 same paper are included ; Schimper's No. 1200 is referred to K. 

 elegans Engl. As a set-off Mr. Baker is credited with a species 

 K'. unifoUa "in Britt. Journ. of Bot. (1885), p. 298." No such 

 species occurs on the page referred to, nor have I been able to 

 discover it elsewhere. Is K. ensifolia Baker intended? This is 

 described on the page in question, and included in the Conspectus in 

 its proper place, with a correct reference. 



Albuca Donaldsoni, sp. nov. Glabra, bulbo . . . . , foliis 

 basi membranaceis lanceolatis, superne lineari-acuminatis, siccis 

 involutis et reflexis ; scapo valido cum racemo denso ovato, folia 

 excedente, bracteis longissimis supra basin triangularem fili- 



K 2 



