DR. DONALDSON SMITh's ACANTHACE^. 397 



sepals are 9 to 10 mm. long by 6 broad, the iuner 8 by 3 mm. The 

 corolla-tube is 13 mm. long by 2'5 in diameter, the anterior free 

 lobe is 12 by 5 mm. ; the other four are united below into a linear 

 portion 10 by 5 mm., spreading above into four lobes, one of which 

 is longer than the otliers, 10 by 8-5 mm., the other three being 

 14 by 7*5 mm. The filaments of the fertile stamens are 17 mm. 

 long ; the anthers (4-5 mm, long) have their halves diverging 

 below, connate only in the upper half above their insertion. The 

 staminodes are a little over 1 mm. long. The ovary (3 mm. long) 

 is girt at the base by a thin cup-like disc, 1 mm. high, with an 

 undulate margin. The filiform style is 2-5 cm. long. 



A well-marked species of the § Piionitis, characterised by its 

 blue flowers, broadly ovate coriaceous leaves, and pungent oblanceo- 

 late bracts. 



Barleria (§ Prionitis) linearifolia, sp. nov. Frutex ramis 

 incanis ; foliis glabris sessilibus linearibus marginatis, apicc pun- 

 gentibus ; floribus axillaribus decussantibus in spicam brevem 

 densam horridam ordinatis ; bracteis foliaceis, velut folia spinam 

 sub medio 4-partitam subteudentibus ; bracteolis spinosis ; floribus 

 inter majores ; sepalis exterioribus lanceolatis acuminato-aristatis, 

 interioribus subulatis ; corolhe pallidge (?flava3) tubo cylindrico, 

 lobis obtusis vix apiculatis antico cuneato ceteris basi connatis, 

 lateralibus orbiculari-obovatis, posticis obovatis cum basi cuneata ; 

 staminodiis 3, pilosis, lateralibus antheras cassas gerentibus. 



Hah. Turfa, Aug. 22nd, 1894. 



Size unknown. Branch, 2*5 mm. in diameter, branching 

 irregularly above from the abortion of one of each pair of opposite 

 buds, and ending, like its branchlets, in dense flower-spikes, 5 cm. 

 long or less. The leaves, except in the region of the flowers, have 

 fallen. The axillary spines persist ; they consist, like those in the 

 lower portion of the spike, of a stem 10 to 12 mm. long, spreading 

 above into four decussating needles 10 to 15 mm. long. The lower 

 foliaceous bracts are 28 by 4 mm., and the subulate spiny bracteoles 

 23 mm. ; as we ascend the spike the bracts and bracteoles become 

 smaller, and the spine in the axil of the former much reduced ; in 

 the case of an upper flower the bracteoles were 7 mm. long. The 

 same reduction occurs in the sepals. The outer sepals are in the 

 lower part of the spike 24 by 4 mm., the inner 14 to 15 by 1 mm. ; 

 in an upper flower, 16 by 3 and 12 mm. (long) respectively. The 

 corolla-tube is 2 cm. long, 1*5 mm. in diameter in the middle, 2'5 

 at the mouth. The odd lobe is 15 by 5 mm., the others are 

 connate for 8 mm. of their length ; the two lateral have a free 

 portion 15 by 12 mm., the two posterior 15 by 8 mm. The fila- 

 ments of the two fertile stamens are 2 cm. long, tapering to a 

 filiform apex from a broader ribbon-like base ; the anthers are 

 2-5 mm. long. The two larger staminodes are 2-5 mm. long, the 

 median one is 1 mm. The cup-like disc round the base of the 

 ovary is -5 mm. high. The long filiform style is 32 mm. 



Distinguished from other species of the section by its markedly 

 linear leaves and bracts. 



