278 cxxiiiD. URTiCACEiE (Rendle). [Elatostema, 



and more numerous than the male and densely crowded ; subtending 

 bracts spathulate or linear, ciliate. 



Species about 50 ; dispersed through tropical Asia, extending to the Hima- 

 layas and Japan and to Australasia and the Pacific Islands ; fewer in tropical 

 Africa and the Mascarene Islands. 



Plants more than G in. high. Female inflorescence 

 many-flowered. 

 Leaves exceeding 2 in. in length, markedly acumi- 

 nate. 

 Male inflorescence sessile or shortly stalked. 



Outer bracts of male inflorescence ovate ; leaf- 

 tip with margin toothed. 

 Male i^erianth-segments 5, mucro unequal, 

 half the length of the segment or less ; 

 leaf-base not auricled ... ... ... 1. ^. WelwitschU. 



Male perianth-segments 4, mucro nearly as 

 long as or longer than the segment ; leaf- 

 base auricled on the broader side ... 2. E. paivceanum. 

 Outer bracts of male inflorescence broadly 



lanceolate ; leaf -tip with margin entire ... 3. E. thomense. 



Male inflorescence long-stalked ...I.E. Mannii. 



Leaves not exceeding 2 in. in length, 

 leaves about one-third as long as broad, acumi- 

 nate. Eastern species ... ... ... \. E. orientole. 



Leaves about half as long as broad, not acuminate. 



Western species 5. E. monticola. 



Plant about 4 in. high. Female inflorescence few- 

 flowered 0. £". parmdum. 



1. E. Welwitschii, Engl, in Engl. Jahrh. xxxiii. 124. A mo- 

 noecious herb with a creeping profusely rooting brown rhizome 

 1-lJ- lin. thick ; stems generally simple, erect or ascending from a 

 rooting base, succulent, up to 15 in. high and a little over 1 lin. in 

 diam., hispidulous, leafy in the upper half, the leaves at the lower 

 nodes smaller and falling early. Leaves membranous, sessile, obliquely 

 elliptic-oblong, apex abruptly acuminate, base very unequal, shorter 

 on the narrower side of the blade, margin generally acutely and 

 densely serrate throughout, the larger 3-4i in. long, 1-2 in. wide ; 

 the two main lateral nerves arising just above the base on either 

 side and failing before or about the middle of the leaf, that on the 

 broader side shorter ; upper face with scattered, sometimes very 

 sparse, stiff pointed hairs with a swollen base, and with numerous 

 linear cystoliths especially along the course of the veins ; lower 

 face hispidulous on the nerves and ascending lateral veins, which 

 are also somewhat prominent. Stipules lanceolate, acuminate, green 

 with pale margins, 3-4 lin. long. Inflorescences sessile .or shortly 

 stalked ; bracts with small linear cystoliths. Male of small few- 

 flowered bracteate cymes which are solitary or several crowded 

 together, arranged dichotomously and 4-G lin. across ; outer bracts 

 broadly ovate, blunt, up to H lin. long, inner bracts similar but 



