8J. IX. CAPPARiDACEiE (oliver). [Marua. 



liOaves ohovate or oval, small, subretuse. Flowers solitary. Fruit 



uot torulose (dru[)accous) 9. ? M. iimjlora. 



Leaves oblong or oblanceolate, obtuse, 1 in. or more. Ovary nar- 

 rowed above 10. M. Currori. 



1. M, triphylla, Rich. Fl. Abyss, i. 32; Ic. 7. A slirub or small tree, 

 the extremiUes shortly pubescent. Leaves firmly membranous, usually 3- 

 foliolate, the uppermost simple ; leaflets broadly oval ovate-lanceolate or obo- 

 vate-elliptical, rather acute or obtuse, mucronulate, more or less obtuse at the 

 base, shortly petiolulate, minutely pubescent at least on the midrib beneath 

 at first, at length glabrous, the central leaflet 1|~2 in. long in our specimens. 

 Flowers in corymbose racemes terminating short axillary shoots towards the 

 extremities of the branches. Calyx tubular-infundibuliform below the free 

 minutely 4-toothed margin of the disk. Petals obovate or elliptical. Colum- 

 nar torus equalling or exceeding the calyx-tube. Ovary oblong, 1-locular 

 at first. Placentas 2, each with 8-12 ovules, a spurious dissepiment at 

 length nearly dividing the cavity. Fruit globose, 4-6 lines diam., few-seeded, 

 on a gynophore of about f in. 



Nile Iiand. AVhite Nile, Petherick ! Kotschy, and others. 



Much resembles M. (Niebuhria) linearis of India, an apetalous species. 



2. M. nervosa, Oliv. Shrub or small tree or a climber with slender 

 drooping branches, glabrous or the extremities puberulous. Leaves rather 

 coriaceous, usually 3-phyllous ; median leaflet varying from ovate, broadly 

 oval, oblong-oval to oblanceolate ; apex acute obtuse minutely mucronulate 

 entire or retuse, obsoletely puberulous at first or glabrous, 1-3 in. long, f- 1 

 in. broad, lateral leaflets often considerably smaller; shortly petiolulate and 

 articulated to the petiole. Flowers in terminal or axillary corymbose ra- 

 cemes, in the latter case sometimes panicled at the end of the branches or 

 solitary; bracts minute. Petals obovate or elliptical, clawed. Columnar 

 torus equalling or rather exceeding the infundibuliform calyx-tube, which 

 is narrowly bordered with the toothed or lobed margin of the disk. Ovary 

 oblong, 1 -celled ; placentas 2 (or 3), with about 15 ovules on each ; stigma 

 sessile. Fruit oblong-oval in our only fruiting specimen, 4-5 lines diam., 

 on a gynophore of about 1 in. — Niebuhria nervosa, Hochst. in Flora 1844, 

 289. Streblocarpus pubescens and S. scandens, Klotzsch in Peters' Mossamb. 

 Bot. 165. 



Mozaxnb. Distr. Zambesia, Dr. Kirk! Dr. Peters! ,(? Zanzibar, Dr. Kirk!) 



Grows also at Natal. 



Var. ^. flag ell aris. Leaves often 1-foliolate, if 3-foliolate the median much larger ; leaflets 

 obtuse with a short dtcurved muoro, less veiny. Lake Nyassa and Shire river, Z>;\ Kirk I 



In the glabrous scandent form the leatlets are sometimes distinctly marked with looping 

 veins, 



3. M. Grantii, 0/«y. Glabrous, with slender virgate branches. Leaves 

 3-foliolate or the upper simple ; leaflets narrow-linear, narrowed to the apex, 

 shortly petiolulate, 1-2 in. long, 1-2 lines broad. Flowers on slender pe- 

 dicels of about 1 in,, axillary, solitary or a few together. towards the extra- 

 mities of the branches or of short slender lateral shoots. Calyx tubular 

 below ; free margin of the disk very short, interrupted. Petals obovate or 

 elliptical, clawed, shortly apiculate. Columnar torus exceeding or equalling 



