NEW SOMALILAND POLYPETAL^. 6 



crowded near apex. Sepals with rather more woolly tomentum 

 than in M. elliptica. Filaments not joined. Style very short; 

 stigmas converging, forming a triangular tip to the ovary. Petals 

 broadly rotund, obovate, gradually narrowing into rather a long 

 claw (pinkish purple when dried), rather more than 1 in. long. 

 Capsule about i in. long (perhaps not quite ripe), covered with 

 rather stiff hairs somewhat similar to those on capsule of Papaver 

 hyhridum L., about 6-8-seeded. 



This plant differs from M. elliptica R. Br. more particularly in 

 the capsule, which is, as has just been stated, stiffly hirsute, not 

 covered with a close tomentum, much shorter, and much fewer- 

 seeded. 



Prof. Oliver (Fl. Trop. Africa, i. 57) states that the ripe siliqua 

 of M. elliptica R. Br. had not then been seen. Specimens of this 

 plant are also in the collection from Wagga Mts., Boresti, and 

 Dimoleh ; the ripe siliqua attains a length of 2i to rather more 

 than 8 in. long. 



Mathiola dimolehensis differs from Morettia Revoili Franchet, 

 Sert. Somal. 10, t. 1 (in Revoile, Faune et Flore des Pays Coinalis, 

 1882), by the capsule being fewer- seeded, and by the shape of the 

 petals being not so cuneate. Another aUied plant is Mathiola 

 Smithii Bak. fil. in Journ. Bot. 1896, 50, which differs in its 

 strongly bicusped capsule. 



Melhania somalensis, sp. n. Caulis tenuis teres ramosus 

 tenuiter stellatim cano-pnbescens demum glabratus, ramulis tereti- 

 bus superne (an exsiccatione tantum ?) complanatis, foliis modice 

 petiolatis lanceolatis vel oblongo-lanceolatis, basi rotundatis vel 

 subcordatis serratis utrinque cano-pubescentibus subtus pallidiori- 

 bus, stipulis subulatis quam petiolis subduplo brevioribus, floribus 

 axillaribus, pedunculis solitariis unifloris, bracteis linearibus quam 

 calyce subduplo brevioribus demum reflexis, sepahs lanceolatis 

 externe cano-pubescentibus valde acuminatis, petahs sub^qui- 

 longis, capsula columnari externe cano-pubescente, loculis 4-8- 

 spermis. 



Hab. Somaliland. Sheikhusin, Dr. Donaldson Smith. In 

 flower and fruit Sept. 1894. No. 152. 



Wiry, probably annual, scarcely woody at the base, erect, 

 branched, 1 ft. (possibly more) high, branches ascending, especially 

 towards the extremities, cano-stellately pubescent, and somewhat 

 flattened. Leaves lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, often about 

 li in. long, 5 lines broad, rounded at the base, serrate, covered 

 with a close tomentum above and below, greenish above, lighter- 

 coloured below ; petiole 4 lines long. Stipules subulate. Flowers 

 axillary, peduncle rather over | in. long. Bracts linear-lanceolate, 

 about half as long as sepals. Sepals very acuminate, externally 

 cano-pubescent. Capsule columnar, cano -pubescent externally, not 

 pointed at the top, ^ in. high. Loculi 4-8-seeded, seeds somewhat 

 angular. 



This plant may be easily recognized by the narrow bracts, the 

 very acuminate sepals, the leaves 3-4 times longer than broad, and 

 the carpels with 4-8 seeds in each loculus. 



