Melanodiscus. 817 



conflata. Inflorescentiae (polychasia racemiformia basi ramulo uno alterove aucta 

 indeque in paniculas transeuntia) ad cicatrices foliorum plures congestae et in ramulis 

 foliatis terminales; bracteae parvae subulatae pilosae et glandulosae. Flores minores, 

 expansi circ. 4 mm lati, breviter pedicellati. Fructus (siccus) ad 2 cm longus, 2,5 cm 

 latus. 



Species 2, Africae tropicae (altera orae occidentalis, altera partis orientalis) incolae. 



Genus valde affine Crossonepheli, a quo differt staminum numero majore. 



Conspectus specierum. 



A. Foliola inferiora late oblique ovata vel subcordata (sp. Austro- 



Nigeriae) 1. M. africanus. 



B. Foliola inferiora ovalia vel suborbicularia (sp. kiliman- 



dscharica) 2. M. oblongus. 



1. M. africanus Radlk. 11. cc. (1887, 1895). — Rami teretes; folia pari-pinnata, 

 2-juga, breviter petiolata; foliola subopposita, superiora oblonga, inferiora minora late 

 ovata basi obliqua, omnia breviter petiolulata, membranacea, subtus ad nervös venasque 

 prominulas pilis patulis laxe adspersa, pallide viridia; panicula cano-puberula bracteis 

 linearibus villosis alabastra superantibus; calyx (floris ^) pilis crispis albidis indutus 

 nee non glandulis elongatis articulatis obsitus; discus late depresse conicus, margine 

 libero tenui crenulato, siccus atro-purpureus, glaber; stamina plerumque 7, in alabastro 

 extrorsum deflexa apice ereeta, denique elongata strieta, antheris oblongis 4-sulcatis; 

 germinis rudimentum albo-villosum; fructus — (non suppetebat). 



Frutex arborescens. Folia (ni memoria me fallit) circ. 15 cm longa; foliola inferiora 

 5 cm longa, 3 cm lata, superiora majora. Flores expansi 4 mm lati; staminum filamenta 

 4 mm, antherae 1 mm longae. 



In Africa tropica occidentali: Moloney! (Nigeria australis, prov. Lagos, 

 a. 1883, fl.; Hb. Kew.). - Gf. Hutchinson and Dalziel, Fl. West Trop. Afr. I. 2. 

 (1928) 505. 



Obs. Huc quoque referendu^m videtur speeimen florigerum, Deininger n.1996, prope Sumbo 

 — ad Bagamojo — Africae orient. lectum m. Febr. 1910. 



2. M. oblongus Radlk. in lit. ad P. Taubert (XI. 1894), Taubert in Engl. Pflanzen- 

 welt Ostafr. C. (1895) 250 et in Engler u. Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. III. 5. (1895) 

 321. — Rami teretes, striati, lenticelloso-punctati, pallide cinerascentes, apice flaves- 

 centi-pilosi, mox glabrati; folia pari-pinnata, 2 — 3-juga, petiolo brevi latiusculo supra 

 complanato et serieeo-piloso, rhachi 'striata inter foliola summa in apiculum penicillato- 

 pilosum desinente; foliola subopposita, oblonga, apice brevissime obtuse acuminata, 

 basi acutiuscula, breviter petiolulata, chartaceo-coriacea, nervo mediano lateralibusque 

 (procurvis) subtus prominentibus, reti venarum utrinque prominulo, glabra, e pallide 

 flavidulo-viridi canescentia, juvenilia rubieunda, infima minora, ovalia vel suborbi- 

 cularia; panicula fruetigera terminalis, folia superiora subaequans, fulvo-tomentosa; 

 floris $ alabastra globosa villosiuscula; disci lobi puberuli; fructus ut supra in charactere 

 generis descriptus, pulpa (t. Sacleux) aurantiaca simiis grata. 



Arbor 15 m alta. Rami 3 mm crassi. Folia petiolo 0,5 — 1 cm longo adjeeto 

 12 — 20 cm longa; foliola cum petiolulis 2 — 5 mm longis ad 15 cm longa, 5 cm lata. 

 Panicula circ. 12 cm longa. Fructus ad 2 cm altus, 2 — 2,5 cm latus. Semen 1,5 cm 

 longum, 0,8 mm latum. 



In Africa tropica orientali: von der Decken, resp. Kersten! (in regionis 

 Dschagga monte Kilimandscharo, altit. 1800 — 2600 m, a. 1860 — 1862, alab.; Hb. 

 Berol.); Ch. Sacleux n. 2322! (foret d'Umboni, pres de Tanga, m. Oct. 1897, fr.; Hb. 

 Drake, nunc Paris.); E. Battiscombe n. 57! (British East Africa, coast districts, 

 1909, fl.<J; Hb. Kew.). 



A. Engler, Das Pflanzenreich. IV. (Embryophyta siphonogama.) 165. 52 



