576 Lxxxvii. GENTiANEiE (baker AND brown). [Swertiu. 



with solitary flowers in the axils of the leaves ; flowers 5-merous ; 

 pedicels 2-3 lin. longi Calyx-lobes 2 lin. long, i-| lin. broad, narrowly 

 oblong, obtuse. Corolla-lobes ^ in. long, 1^ lin. broad, obovate, obtuse, 

 with a pair of fimbriate nectaries near the base. Stamens 4 the length 

 of the corolla. 



Zrile Iiand. Abyssinia : Samen ; Ghaba, near Gondar, Steudner. 



According to dt-scriptioii this only differs from ^S". pumila, Hochsjt., in its m;)re 

 numerous and filiform stems, which in S. pumila are h li«- thick. 



12. S. crassiuscula, Gilg in Engl. Jahrh. xxvi. 107. A perennial 

 herb, 2-5 in. high ; stems many, glabrous, erect or decumbent at the 

 base, root-leaves and lower stem-leaves with a thick elliptic-oblong 

 obovate blade J-| in. long, 2|-4 lin. broad, narrowed gradually into a 

 petiole \-l in. long ; upper leaves smaller, spathulate or obovate-cuneate. 

 Cymes 1-3-flowered, corymbose ; flowers 5-merous. Calyx \ in. long; 

 lobes obovate or obovate-oblong, obtuse. Corolla pale blue {Johnston), 

 yellowish in the dried state ; lobes 4-5 lin. long, oblong, with a pair of 

 ciliate nectaries near the base. Stamens much shorter than the corolla- 

 lobes. Ovary elliptic-lanceolate, slightly narrowed to the very obtuse 

 sessile 2-lobed stigma. — S. pumila, Engl. Hochgebirgsfl. Trop. Afr. 338, 

 partly. 



IHCozamb. Bist. German East Africa: Kilimanjaro, at 9000-10,000 ft., 

 Thomson ! Johnston, 116 ! Kitinika Volcano, 10100 ft., Volkens, 943 ! Mawenzi 

 Peak, 7800 ft., Volkens, 787. 



Sir Harry Johnston states that the flowers are pale blue, but in the dried state 

 they are yellowish, with some of those that are faded didl lilac. 



13. S. Volkensii, Gilg in Engl. Jahrh. xxvi. 108. A dwarf 

 glabrous perennial, 2-1 in. high, with a thick many-headed rootstock. 

 Radical leaves crowded or rosulate, \-\\ in. long, lJ-5 lin. broad, 

 ascending, lanceolate, obtusely pointed, tapering into a long petiole 

 below ; stem-leaves in about 2-3 distant pairs, 5-8 lin. long, 1-2^ lin. 

 broad, sessile, narrowly lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, obtuse (very 

 acute, ex Gilg), all apparently somewhat fleshy or subcoriaceous, not 

 membranous as originally described. Flowers about 3 in a terminal 

 cyme, 5-merous ; pedicels \\-^ lin. long. Sepals 2-5 lin. long, |-1 lin. 

 broad, lanceolate, acute, about as long as the corolla. Corolla-lobes 

 rather thick, 3J-5J lin. long, lj-21in. broad, lanceolate, acute, or rarely 

 oblong, obtuse, without nectaries (with 2 nectaries, ex Gilg) at the 

 base. Stamens *2-'l\ lin. long ; anthers apiculate, somewhat acutely 

 sagittate at the base. Capsule 3J-4 lin. long, about \\ lin. broad, 

 elongate-ovate, acute ; valves tipped with the very short (about \ lin. 

 long) style ; stigma small, about \ lin. broad, very obtuse. 



IKEozaxnb. Sist. German East Africa : Kilimanjaro, on the lava-field of the 

 western slope of Mawenzi Peak, 14400 ft, Volkens, 1357 ! 



A remarkable species, very like S. crassiusciila, Gilg, in appearance, but with 

 acute sepals, and much thicker petals than in any other species. In a port'on of the 

 type specimen, kindly lent by Piofessor Engler, I could find no trace of the fringed 

 nectaries which are described by Gilg as present near ihe base of the petals, so they 

 may perhaps be present or absent in this species. N. E. Br. 



