Elatostema.] cxxiiin. urticace;f; (Rendle). 281 



or branched, more or less densely and shortly hairy. Leaves sessile, 

 obliquely oblanceolate, acuminate, base very une(jual and entire, 

 marfi^in above the base serrate, excluding the lower smaller ones 1-2 in. 

 lonfj, 5-8 lin. wide, with 3-1 lateral nerves on each side, ascending 

 and uniting well within the margin, the two stronger arising well 

 above the leaf-base, upper face glabrous or with a few scattered 

 stiff white hairs, cystoliths numerous, short, linear, lower face 

 sparsely hispidulous on the nerves. Stijndes ovate-lanceolate, a]>ex 

 often shortly 2-fid, a little over 1 lin. long. Female inflorescence 

 sessile or subsessile, 2-4 lin. in width, forming when mature a dense 

 hemispherical or rounded hairy cushion. Outer bracts membranous, 

 ovate-oblong, green with well-marked median vein and less con- 

 spicuous laterals, margin ciliolate, If lin. long ; inner bracts narrower, 

 oblong, otherwise similar, barely IJ lin. long, the innermost linear- 

 spathulate to narrow-linear, 1 lin. or less in length, all with long 

 hairs on the u])per part ; cystoliths not visible in the bracts. Flowers 

 on short or longer stalks ; perianth minute, 3-partite, segments 

 ovate, margin shortly fimbriate above, about J lin. long. Achene 

 brown, compressed elliptic-ovate, -J lin. long. 



Nile Land. British East Africa : Kuroris, forest ground })lant, handsomo 

 and abundant, Hutchins ! Uganda : Ruwenzori ; Kivata, wet dark places in 

 forest at 8000 ft., Scott Elliot,^1632 ! 



Mozamb. Distr. Kilimanjaro : Marangu, forest at 7000 ft., Volkens, 1250 ! 

 Rhodesia : Chirinda forest, 3700-4000 ft., a small herb climbing over a stone 

 in mid-stream of Zona River, near source, Sivynnerton, 78'1 ! 



5. E. monticola, Hook.f. in Journ. Linn. Soc. vii. 216. A small 

 herb 1 ft. high with slender stems ascending from a long creeping 

 rooting base, simple or branched, generally 6-8 in. high, ^-J lin. 

 thick, hispidulous, especially in the upper ])art, with short down- 

 wardly directed hairs, leafy mainly above the middle. Leaves 

 membranous, with very short stalks, obliquely obovate, acute, base 

 very unequal, margin somewhat grossly serrate above the base, 

 1-lJ in. long, ^-J in. wide, with 3-4 lateral nerves on either side, the 

 longest on the broader side arising opposite the origin of the blade on 

 the narrower side and passing about to the middle of the blade, and 

 on the narrower side 2-3 lin. above this point and })assing beyond 

 the middle of the blade ; upper face with scattered appressed pointed 

 hairs, nerves hispidulous on lower face, and with numerous linear 

 cystoliths visible on both faces ; petiole 1 lin. or less in length. Sti- 

 pules membranous, lanceolate, acute to acuminate, 1-lA lin. h»ng, per- 

 sistent. Female inflorescence sessile or subsessile, ultimately }-.\ in. 

 in diam. and forming a somewhat flat hairy cushion surrounded by 

 an involucre of ovate-oblong to oblong blunt green bracts about 

 1 lin. long with ciliated margin and surface marked with linear 

 cystoliths, inner bracts narrower to linear-spathulate, green and 

 ciliated above the middle. Flowers numerous, crowded, sessile or 



