Encephalarios .] cxxx. cycadace^ (Prain). 868 



lanceolate, very distinctly falcate, 7-9 in. long, IJ iii. wide, very 

 oblique at the base and wide-cuneate or rounded on the upper, narrow- 

 cuneate on the lower edge, apex acutely acuminate, [)ungent, margin 

 with 1-4 diverging teeth throughout the lower edge, and 2-4 strong 

 diverging teeth, mainly in the basal half, on the upper edge, occasion- 

 ally a tooth on ihc lower edge high up and the tij) then 2-spinescent ; 

 in young plants casually 4-5-spinescent. Male cone peduncled, 

 sometimes 5 or more in one crown, dull yellowish-green finely dotted 

 with deep red, becoming dark brown after pollen is shed, ovate to 

 fusiform, 12-16 in. long, 3-4 in. wide ; peduncles 6-7 in. long, fo- 

 ment ose ; scales spreading, wide obovate-deltoid, fertile portion 

 J in. long, as much wide, apex rhomboid, J in. across, the lateral 

 angles acute, the upper very obtuse and sometimes nearly obsolete, 

 ridged and distinctly 3-faceted, faintly umbonate. Female cone 

 peduncled, sometimes up to 10 in one crown, dull yellowish-green, 

 becoming at length dark brown, subcylindric or narrow-conical, 

 up to 2 ft. long, 6-8 in. wide ; peduncles 4^-5^ in. long ; apex of scales 

 wide-rhomboid, 2^ in. across, 1:[ in. deep, lateral angles explanate, 

 upper and lower very obtuse, umbonate near the lower angle. Seeds 

 ellipsoid or ovoid, rather distinctly angled and 3-7-faceted by com- 

 pression, 1^-1-2 ^^- lo^" I outer coat dull vermilion. 



Mozamb. Distr. Nyasaland : south-westrrn Mianji, between the Tuchila 

 and the Ruo Rivcre, 2500 ft., MaJion ! lower slopes of Mount Mianji, 2200-3000 

 ft., Davy ! Zomba, cultivated, McChauie, li)7 ! Dat^y, 417 ! 



This s[jecies is not put to any economic use, and ha.s no detinit*.- vernacular 

 name (Davy). Originally discovered in 18!)i> by Mahon, E. grains liius been in culti- 

 vation since 1903 when it was introduced by McClounie ; a second introduction 

 was effected by Davy in 1914. It is most common in rocky ravines and on rocky 

 river-banks, frequently in rock-crevices with no apparent soil. Usually sul>ject 

 to intense insolation, it nevertheless survives occasional brief submereion in 

 heavy floods. S[)ecimcns are sometimes met with in savannah foiwst and less 

 oiUn\ in dense fonst with rich soil. In savannah the plants are usually de- 

 foliated by the annual grass-fires, but survive. Female f)lant« may remain 

 leafless for twelve to eighteen months after rii)ening seeds, their stems continu- 

 ing short and globose, about 1 ft. across, hypogieal or only rising G inches above 

 the surface. Male plants of approximately the same age may develop stems 

 4 ft. high, over 2 ft. thick at the ba-se (Davy). In shap<.' of leaf- pinnules E. gratus 

 most resembles, among the tropical species of the genus, E. laurctUutnm, Dc 

 Wild., from Uganda and the Belgian Congo. In shape of cones it most resembled 

 E. Hildelrraiidtii, A. Br. & Bouche, from Usaramo, Usambara and Seyidieh. 

 The male cone-scales of E. gratus, however, differ greatly from those of the two 

 species mentioned, and most resemble those of E. Barleri, Carruth., from UpjH^r 

 Guinea and of E. Poggei, Aschei-s., from tiie Belgian Congo, two s|x'(ies with 

 widely different foliage. As a'gards the sha[K\ sixi", and marginal toothing of 

 the leaf pinnules, E. grains agrees closely with E. Woodii, Sand., from Zululand, 

 a spt^cies whose cones have not yet been described. When s»cn growing side 

 by side, however, the Zulu and the Nyasa plants are readily distinguihhabK ; 

 the leaves of E. Woodii are shining above, those of E. grains are dark dull green. 



7. E. laurentianus, De Wild. Etudes Fl. Bus- el Moyen-Coni/o, 

 i. 10, t. 25. Stem well-developed, cylindric, sometimes irregularly 

 shaped {Geniil), erect or sometimes prostrate {Johnston), casually 



PL. TROP. AFR. VI. SECT. II. N 



