Flaconrtia?\ xiii. BixiNE.E (oliveu). \i\ 



This is the " BatOko Plum " of the Zambesi. 



lyiozamb. Distr. Race Island, E. Africa, Forbes I Zambesi, between Tete and the 

 const, also on the coast near the mouth, Dr. Kirk ! Luabo river. Dr. Kirk ! 



Specimens in the Kew herbarium, with male tlowers, from Abbeokuta, Barter ! Dahomey, 

 Burton ! and Niger, liaikie ! probably belong to this species, which occurs also in Mada- 

 gascar and India. For Indian synonymy, see ' Flora Tndica,' incd. 



2. F. flavescens, Willd. ,- DC. Prod. i. 256 {ex descr.). A glabrous 

 shrub or small tree, often armed with acute axillary spines, which are some- 

 times very numerous and rigjid on the trunk. Leaves at length somewhat 

 coriaceous, oval or elliptical, more or less pointed or shortly acuminate or 

 obtuse, crenate-serrnte or remotely serrulate, the smaller veins somewhat 

 transversely parallel, variable in size, usually 2-5 in. lono^, 1-2 i in. broad ; 

 petiole 3-4 lines. Flowers, both 'male and female, in small axillary and 

 terminal racemes or racemose panicles, much shorter than the leaves; the 

 female flowers sometimes solitary. Berry small, fleshy. — F. edulia, Schuiii. et 

 Thonn. Guin. PI. 450. F. Vuyelli, Hook. f. Fl. Nigrit. 220. 



Upper Guinea. Guinea, Tkonning ; Niger, T. Vog el and Barter ! 

 Iiow^er Guinea. Golungo Alto, Angola, Dr, Welicitsch I 



Var. j8 Leaves obtuse. Senegal ! 



Flacouitia gamhecola, Clos in Ann. Sc. Nat. Ser. 4. viii. 219, is probably a variety of the 

 same species, from M'Carthy Island, Gambia river. 



A variable species in the form and size of the leaves, and very difficult to define. It is 

 nearly allied to one or two Indian and Archipelago species. 



3. F. hirtiuscula, Oliv. A shrub or small tree, in the only specimen 

 seen armed with short acute axillary spines. Leaves rotundate or obovate- 

 elliptical, obtuse or scarcely acute, more or less cuneate, or rounded in very 

 broad leaves at the base, denticulate-serrate or occasionally irregularly toothed, 

 pubescent, at length nearly glabrous above ; midrib and long curved lateral 

 nerves rather prominent below, \\-'i\ in. long, 1-lf in. broad ; petiole 2-4 

 lines. Flowers not seen. Berries edible, dark-coloured, deeply sulcate when 

 dry, on short, axillary or terminal branches, about the same size as those of 

 F. RamontcJii. 



Mozamb. Distr. Near Senna, Zambesi, Dr. Kirk ! 



G. ABERIA, Hochst. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. V\. i. 128. 



Flowers dioecious. Calyx 5-8-partite, pubescent or glandular, scarcely 

 imbricate or subvalvate in sestivation. Petals 0. Male fl. : Stamens inde- 

 finite ; anthers shortly oblong or rotundate, attached at the back or base, 

 dehiscing longitudinally. [I have seen female flowers of but one tropical 

 African species, and descriptions of the ovary are contradictory. The ovary 

 is more or less divided into 3-6 cells by intruded plates of pulpy tissue or 

 1 -celled below, several-celled above.] Fruit a berry, 2-6-celled, 2-6-sce(led, 

 with a small fleshy annular or interrupted disk. Styles 2 0, persistent. 

 Seeds variously attached to the walls of the cavities, villous or nearly gla- 

 brous (in A. verrmom with leafy cotyledons the breadth of the seed, the 

 margins slightly incurved ; radir-le superior). — Small trees or shrubs, with 

 or without spines. Leaves alternate, simple, shortly stalked. Flowers dice- 

 cious. Fruit an edible berry. 



