272 cxxiiiD. URTiCACE^ (Rendle). [Pilea, 



linear cystoliths ; leafy only in the upper part and on the branchlets. 

 Leaves of a pair sometimes unequal, ovate or elliptic, sometimes 

 almost rounded, obtuse to acute or shortly acuminate, base rounded 

 to wedge-shaped, margin serrate above the base, triplinerved, the 

 lateral nerves reaching to about or a little beyond the middle of the 

 leaf, J-1 in. long, 4-8 ]in. wide, toughly membranous, upper face 

 when dry dark green and marked with numerous linear cystoliths, 

 lower face dull reddish ; petioles slender, 2-5 lin. long. Stipules 

 minute, triangular, caducous. Inflorescences in the upper leaf- 

 axils, peduncled, generally exceeding the petiole, the male longer 

 than the female. Male flowers clustered at the end of the peduncle 

 or its forks ; perianth 4-partite, lobes with a subapical mucro ; bud 

 nearly 1 lin. in diam. Female flowers more closely crowded than 

 the male ; median lobe of perianth shortly hooded, exceeding the 

 lateral lobes and nearly equal to the achene. Achene brown, com- 

 pressed, ovate, barely exceeding J lin. in length. — P. rupipendia, 

 Wedd. in Ann. Sci. Nat. 4me ser. i. 186, and in DC. Prodr. xvi. i. 123. 

 Parietaria urticcefolia, Linn. f. Suppl. 434. JJriica rupipendia, Poir. 

 Encycl. iv. 640. 



East Africa. Without precise locality, Martin (tide Wcddcil). 



Also in the Mascarcne Islands. 



6. P. Holstii, Enfjl. in Glicd. Vc(j. Usambara, 50, and Pjl. Ost- 

 Afr. C. 163. A tall glabrous herb, 2i ft. high, monoecious or 

 diuocious (?), sometimes branched. Leaves ovate, acuminate, base 

 almost rectangular and entire, margin above base grossly serrate, 

 3-nerved, the lateral nerves running to below the apex, leaves of a 

 pair subequal or one somewhat larger and longer-stalked than the 

 other, generally between IJ-S in. long, and | to nearly 2 in. wide, 

 thinly membranous when dry, the lower face densely covered with 

 linear sometimes slightly curved cystoliths ; petiole slender, shorter 

 than the leaf, f-2| in. long. Stipules caducous. Inflorescences 

 axillary ; male shorter than the petiole and somewhat densely 

 paniculate ; flowers shortly stalked ; perianth 4-partite, midveins 

 thickened and ending in a short umbo. Female inflorescence about 

 equal to or longer than the petiole, laxly paniculate, to about 1|- in. 

 long ; the flowers aggregated in small cymules on the slender branches ; 

 perianth 3-partite, segments about equal, the median very concave, 

 in side view oblong, apex somewhat truncate, apiculate, lateral 

 segments ovate, subacute ; pedicel half the length of the flower. In 

 fruit the median segment reaches just above the middle of the 

 achene, and is about twice as long as the lateral segments. Achene 

 ovate with a pronounced thinner margin, h lin. long. 



Mozamb. Distr. Cilerman East Africa : Usambara ; Nderema, in forest, 

 UoLsl, 2245 ! Buckwald, 038 1 



