126 Lxxxiv. APOCYNACEj: (staff). [Pterotaherna. 



seeds about 5, ellipsoid, deeply grooved on the ventral face, embedded in 

 a scanty fleshy pulp (forming a thin skin when dry) ; testa crustaceous 

 with faint longitudinal ridges, intruding into the albumen between the 

 ridges ; endosperm fleshy ; cotyledons foliaceous, broad, cordate-ovate ; 

 radicle small. — A shrub with slender branches. Leaves opposite, mem- 

 branous ; axillary stipules short, but distinct, with very minute glands 

 in their axils. Inflorescences usually geminate at the tips of the 

 branches, few-flowered, cymose, lax. 



Species 1, endemic. Vei'y similar to some Indian species hitherto referred to 

 Taherncemontana, e.g., T. peduncularis or T. malaccana, but differing in the stigma, 

 which is remote from the anthers, capitate and exapiculate, and in the winged, 

 apparently indehiscent fruits. It is distinguished from Taberncemontana proper 

 in the structure of the anthers, the stigma and the fruit. Tahernanthe, which is 

 very similar in habit, differs not only in the structure of the stamens and the stigma, 

 but also in having syncarpous ovaries and fruits. 



1. P. inconspicua, Stapf, A perfectly glabrous shrub, 10 ft. high ; 

 branches greyish or brown when dry. Leaves obovate-oblong to oblong, 

 abruptly acuminate (acumen narrow, linear, up to 1 lin. long), acute to 

 cuneate at the base, very variable in size, 2^—6 in. long, \\-2^ in. broad, 

 thin, dark-green above, paler beneath ; secondary nerves slender, 8-10 

 on each side, oblique, curved ; veins quite obscure ; petiole slender, up 

 to 8 lin. long. Inflorescences 1-1 J in. long ; peduncle up to J in. long ; 

 bracts linear-lanceolate, inconspicuous ; pedicels up to 2^ lin. long. 

 Calyx slightly over 1 lin. long, persistent; sepals ovate-lanceolate, acute. 

 Corolla-tube 3-4 lin. long, delicately papillose below the stamens, other- 

 wise quite glabrous ; lobes obovate, 2^ lin. long. Anthers 1 J lin. long. 

 Mericarps orange-coloured, about 1 in. long, over ^ in. broad ; wings 

 about 1 lin. broad, fused towards the tip into a very broad obtuse short 

 beak. Seeds up to 4 lin. long. — TaherncemoJitana iiiconsjncuay Stapf in 

 Kew Bulletin, 1894, 120. T. trialata, Pierre MS. 



Upper Guinea. Cameroons : Bipinde, Zenker, 1059 ! 



Xio-wer Guinea. Gaboon: Corisco Bay; Mount John, on the Kongui River, 

 Mann, 1803 ! near Libreville, Klatne, 526 ! 



19. ER VAT AMI A, Stapf. 



Calyx small, subherbaceous to subcoriaceous ; sepals 5, free or 

 united at the base, imbricate, broad or narrow, acute or obtuse, each 

 with several glands inside the base. Corolla small or middle-sized, 

 salver-shaped ; tube cylindric, slightly widened towards the naked 

 mouth, rarely near or below the middle, not fleshy ; lobes overlapping 

 to the left, very rarely to the right, scarcely asymmetric, tips inflexed 

 in bud. Stamens erect, inserted in the widened part of the corolla- 

 tube, included ; filaments short, but distinct, more or- less decurrent as 

 slightly prominent ridges in the tube ; anthers linear, acute, 2-lobed at 

 the base, poliiniferous and dehiscing right into the usually small basal 

 lobes. Disc 0. Ovary apocarpous ; carpels 2, sometimes slightly 

 coherent ; style long, rarely comparatively short, filiform, very slender ; 



