274 cxxiiiD. URTiCACE^ (Rendle). [Pilea. 



margin grossly serrate, 3-nerved, the lateral nerves extending above 

 the middle, 1|— 4 in. long, 1-3 in. wide, thinly membranous when 

 dry, with pointed white hairs scattered on the upper face, more 

 numerous beneath especially on the nerves ; cystoliths linear, 

 generally numerous on both faces ; petiole ^-2^ in. long. Stipules 

 membranous, brown, broadly ovate or rounded, 2-3 lin. long, per- 

 sistent. Cymes solitary or geminate in the leaf -axils, stalked, 

 generally shorter than the petiole, 1-1 1 in. long, unisexual, but male 

 and female cymes sometimes present in the same axil. Flowers 

 crowded in small subglobose heads 3-4 lin. in diam., at the end of 

 the peduncle or its few short branches ; male flower subglobose, 

 about 1 lin. in diam. ; perianth divided above into 4 ovate hooded 

 lobes with a short subapical dorsal appendage : female 3-partite, 

 the median lobe broadly oblanceolate in profile, with a short sub- 

 apical dorsal appendage, about equal to the achene, lateral lobes 

 ovate, about one-third the length of the median in the fruiting stage. 

 Achene compressed-ovate, brown, J lin. long, minutely scrobiculate. 

 • — Engl. Pfi. Ost-Afr. C. 163, inch var. runssorensis ; Cortesi in 

 Abruzzi, II Ruwenzori, i. 462 ; R. E. Fries in Rhod.-Kongo-Exped. 

 1911-12, i. 18. 



Nile Land. British East Africa : Mau, Baker ! Kenia, Uutchins, 385 ! 

 Uganda: Nandi district, 6000 ft., Whyte ! second dav's march from Eldama 

 Ravine, Whyte \ Ruwenzori; Kivata, 7000-10,000 'ft., Scott Elliot, 7742! 

 Stuhlmann, 2730 ; between Kichuchu and Nakitava, Abruzzi. 



South Central. Belgian Congo : Ninagongo, about 8800 ft., Fries, 1642. 



Mozamb. Distr. Grcrman East Africa : Kilimanjaro, 5000 ft., Johnston ! 

 Marangu, 5800 ft., Volkens, 1136 ! 1848 ! 



10. P. veronicifolia, Engl. Pfl. Ost-Afr. C. 164. A glabrous herb. 

 Stem accumbent, rooting below, branched ; branches ascending, 

 6-9 in. long, marked when dry with numerous white linear cysto- 

 liths, leafy in the upper part. Leaves of a pair nearly equal, 

 ovate, acuminate, extreme apex blunt, base obtuse or truncate, 

 above the base crenate-serrate, 3-nerved, the lateral nerves reaching 

 the middle or a little beyond, |-2i in. long, f-lj in. wide, those 

 at the lower nodes smaller, with numerous linear cystoliths on 

 both faces and sometimes a few scattered hairs ; petiole slender, 

 about equal to or shorter than the blade. Stipules small, broadly 

 ovate, deciduous. Flowers in small globular heads in the leaf-axil, 

 heads unisexual, the female often sessile or shortly stalked, stalk 

 rarely as long as the petiole, male long-stalked, stalk exceeding the 

 petiole. The large median segment of the perianth nearly equal to 

 the achene, the lateral segments small. Achene compressed, rather 

 broadly ovate, brown, J lin. long. 



Mozamb. Distr. German East Africa : Usambara ; Kwa Mshuza, Hoist, 

 9885 ! Amani, Herb. A7nani, 458 ! 



11. P. Goetzii, Etir/l. in Engl. JaJirb. xxviii. 379. A tall dioecious 

 herb about 3 ft. high. Stem quadrangular, with a few scattered 



