Pilea.] cxxiiid. URTiCACEiE (Reudle), 271 



Also in Madagascar. 



Var. major, Rendle in Journ. But. 1 «)1 7 incd. Of similar habit to thr l)rancli(>d 

 forms of the s|)ccies but on a much larger scak'. The cri-ct wU^mK riisc from the 

 creeping profuwUy rooting base to a height of J5^-l»» in., and are 1 .j, iin. thick ; the 

 long internodes are 2^-5^ in. long, the elongat^^d branches are sulx-reet, lyaves 

 on the main strong atoms l.i-2.i in. h)ng, 1-2 in. wide, smaller on the branches and 

 weak stems ; the stronger st<^ms may bear leaves as large as those of the apical 

 pseudo-whorl on the next two or sometimes three lower nodes. Inliorescences 

 1-] ^ in. long. 



Upper Guinea. Caraeroons : Buca, 7000 ft., Preuss, 1001 ! 



4. P. angolensis, Rendle. A small delicate annual herb, intensely- 

 green, glabrous. Stem erect, fleshy, 4-9 or sometimes 12 in. hi}^h, 

 simple or branched. Leaves at the upper nodes larger than those 

 below, those at the lowermost nodes caducous, those of a pair sub- 

 equal or unequal, ovate, obtuse, base broadly wedge-shaped to trun- 

 cate, 3-nerved, the lateral nerves extending beyond the middle, margin 

 dentate above the base, those of the lowest pair sometimes entire, 

 §-l| in. long, J-li in, wide, of the lowest pair J in. long or less ; 

 thinly membranous when dry, the surface often marked with linear 

 slightly curved cystoliths ; petioles slender, up to 2 in. long. Sti- 

 pules caducous. Inflorescence 1-sexual or 2-sexual, one to several 

 in the leaf-axils, much shorter than the petioles, rarely exceeding 

 h in., generally less ; flowers in dense secund cymules on the main 

 axis or its short branches ; peduncle short, slender ; inflorescence 

 sometimes reduced, becoming subsessile and capituliform. Male 

 inflorescence shorter than the female. Male perianth 4-partite, h Iin. 

 in diam. before opening, lobes broad, blunt, with a short green sub- 

 apical appendage. Female more numerous and more densely crowded 

 than the male ; perianth 3-lobed, median segment hooded, blunt, 

 obscurely keeled, 2-3 times as long as the two lanceolate lateral 

 segments, segments persistent in fruit, the median a little shorter 

 than the achene ; stigma lateral beneath the apex. Achene pale 

 brown when ripe, compressed ovate-lanceolate, margin flattened, 

 J Iin. long. — Adicea tetraphylld, var. angolensis, Hiern in Cat. Afr. 

 PI. Welw. i. 990. 



Nile Land. Uganda : Ngusi River, near Lake Albert Edward, 3000 ft., 

 Bagshawe, 1354 ! 



Lower Ghiinea. Angola : Pungo Andongo, moist shady rocks, Barrancos de 

 Pcdra Songue, Welivitsch, 0258 ! Pedras dc Guinga, Wdwitsch, 6259 ! and 

 without definite locality, Welwitsch, 6272 ! 



The reference in Hiern's description to rigid long setae sometimes present on 

 the upper part of the stem and the lower face of the leaves, evidently relates to 

 a specimen of Fleurya mooreana which has been mixed with the specimens of 

 Welwitsch, 6258. 



5. P. urticaefolia, Bl. Mus. Bot. Liigd.-Bat. ii. 47. Dia^cious, 

 shrubby below, glabrous. Stem much-branched, procumbent, 

 terete, reaching 2 ft. in length, with 4 scarcely conspicuous longi- 

 tudinal lines, somewhat reddish when dry and marked with short 



