Xysmalobium.^ lxxxv. asclepiade^ (brown). 311 



This species closely resembles X. bellum, N. E. Br., and X. apaihulaium, 

 N. E. IJr., in general appearance, but is totally different from both in the structure 

 of the coronal-lobes. 



16. X. grande, iV. E. Br. Rootstock tuberous. Stem ^3 ft. high, 

 erect, simple, very stout, \-\ in. thick, glabrous. Leaves rigidly 

 coriaceous when alive {Welwitsch), parchment-like when dried, spread- 

 ing, glabrous, glaucescent ; petiole 0-7 lin. long; blade 4-4^ in. long, 

 2-2^ in. broad, cuneate-oblong, retuse or very obtusely rounded at 

 the apex, minutely apiculate, shortly and broadly cuneate at the base. 

 Umbels lateral at the nodes, shortly pedunculate or the upper perhaps 

 subsessile, 4-5-flowered ; bracts 2^-8 lin. long, J lin. broad, linear- 

 oblong or slightly spathulate, obtuse, glabrous; pedicels | in. long, 

 moderately stout, glabrous. Sepals 3-3:^ lin. long, 2^ lin. broad, 

 elliptic, very obtuse, glabrous. Corolla broadly campanulate, lobed 

 almost to the base, glabrous, greenish-purple ; lobes | in. long, 

 J in. broad, elliptic-oblong, obtuse. Coronal-lobes arising § lin. above 

 the base of the staminal-column and about or scarcely reaching to its 

 top, 2 lin. long, J-|- lin. broad, erect and applied to the backs of the 

 anthers, fleshy, linear-oblong, apparently flat on the inner face, very 

 convex on the back at the basal part, obtuse, without keels on either 

 face, Staminal-column \ in. long, broadly conical in the antheriferous 

 part ; anthers broadly triangular, their wings much projecting, broadest 

 at the base, with double or grooved margins ; their appendages about 

 1\ lin. in diam., roundish inflexed over the apex of the style. — 

 Glossostelma angolense, Schlechter in Journ. Bot. 1895, 322, t. 352, fig. 

 B; Engl. &l Prantl, Pflanzenfam. Nachtr. zum ii.-iv. 287; Hieni in 

 Cat. Afr. PL Welw. i. 688. 



Iiower G-uinea. Angola: Pungo Andongo; in the woods of Pandas, luar 

 Mangue, very rare, Wehvitsch, 4190 ! 



There is no character wliatevcr in the floral structure of this plant to separate it 

 gencrically from Xysmalohinm. It is very similar to X. bellum, N. E. Br., imd 

 X. spathulatum, N. E. Br., but is apparently a stouter plant and has diffonnt 

 coronal-lobes. Tlie figure illustrating the coronal structure in the Jouruiil of Botany 

 is scarcely correct. The specimen coui^ists of a few nodes of the stem, with leavt s 

 and umbels of flowers attached. The specific name given by tichlechter havin^j 

 already been used under Xysmalohivm, necessitates the above change. 



17. X. bellum, N. E. Br. in Kew Bulletin, 1895, 69. Stem 

 simple, stout, probably attaining 2 ft. or more in height, glabrous, with 

 one pubescent line, which alternates at the nodes. Leaves spre^iding ; 

 petiole 2-3 lin. long ; blade 2-3J in. long, ^-Ij in. broad, oblong or 

 cuneate-oblong, varying from acute to broadly subtruncate at the apex, 

 cuneate-acute at the base, flat or narrowly revolute along the margins, 

 glabrous on both sides. Umbels 1 to several, lateral at the nodes, 3-6- 

 flowered ; lower umbels pedunculate; peduncles 0-1 in. long, pubescent 

 along one side; bracts 2|-4 lin. long, subulate or linear-lanceolato, 

 glabrous; pedicels l-l\ in. long, stout, pubescent down one side. 

 Sepals 8i-4i lin. long, 2 lin. broad, ovate or ovate-oblong, acute, 



