Plate 



2431. 



BENTIA FRUTICULOSA, Rolfe 



ACANTIIACK.E. 



* 



B 



338 ; frutex 2-3- 



fruticulosa, Rolfe in Kew Bulletin, 1894, p 



pedalis, ramis teretibus divaricatis albidis novellis cano-puberulis, foliis 

 parvis carnosulis spathulatis oblanceolatisve obtusis sa;pe in «^'ili= 

 fasciculatis 



atis basi in petiolum brevem angustatis puberulis, floribus majus- 

 culis spicatis, spicis terminal ibus brevibus pIuriHoris, bracteis laxis 

 dilatatis albido-marginatis, calycis a basi 5-partiti segmentis oblanceo- 

 lato-linearibus subjBquilongis acutis 1-4 supra medium leviter dilatatis 

 margine scariosis albidis, corolla calyc'e 3-pIo longiore subventricosa fere 

 ad medium bilabiata, labio superiore integro inferiore breviter 3-dentato 

 lobulo centrali emarginato extimis paullo latiore, staminibus anticis 

 2 tantum evolutis, antheris 2-locularibus loculis discretis altero aUius 

 affixo basi vix aut obscure mucronatis altero inferiore conspicue 

 mucronato, ovario ovoldeo hirto, ovulis in quociue loculo gemmatis 

 superpositis adscendentibus. 



Hab. South Arabia : Hadramaut, near Gambia, 1 000 ft. alt., Ltmt 

 (Mr. Bent's Expedition). 



Folia 3 6 lin. longa. Spicm 1-2 poll, longre. Flores |-1 poll, longi. 



Very different in habit from any species of the genera to which its 

 staminal structure allies it, and having the margined bracts ot Mimgia 

 For the remarks of Mr. Rolfe and of Dr. Lindau on its affinity see the 

 page cited above in the Kew Bulletin. A curious concave tiesliy 

 emergence projects into the tube about the middle opposite to tne 

 median line of the lower lip j and the position of the lateral undevelopea 

 stamens is strongly marked by intruded plaits in the tube_ under me 

 ^pper lip. The tlowers are white with feathered veming in reddisn- 

 brown on the lower lip. — D. Oliver. 



l^ig. 1. Bract, 

 ther, back ai 



2. Brarteolo and calyx, with pistil. 3 Corolla Uid open, 

 d front. 5. Vertical section of ovary. AU enlarged. 



4. An- 



