122 XIII. bixinetE (OLIVER). l^Aberia. 



A genus of 6 or 8 species, occurring also at the Cape and in Ceylon. 



Leaves glabrous or obsoletely pubescent, obscurely veiny. Persistent 

 perianth- segments of fruit oblong or linear-oblong, pubescent. 

 Seeds with villous testa I. J. abyssinica. 



Leaves glabrous, veiny Persistent perianth-segnients of fruit linear, 

 bordered with sessile or subsessile capitate glands. Seeds nearly or 

 quite glabrous 2. A. verrucosa. 



Leaves glabrous, veiny. Persistent perianth- segments of fruit oval 

 or linear-lanceolate, firabriate-ciliate with long, filiform, capitate 

 glands. Seeds more or less woolly 2. J.? macrocalyx. 



Leaves softly pilose, acute. Persistent perianth-segments of fruit 

 oval or oval-lanceolate, hirsute or pilose on both sides. Seeds 

 villous 4. ^. mollis. 



1. A. abyssinica, Chs in Ann. Sc. Nat. Ser. 4. viii. 236. With or 

 without axillary spines. Leaves dull, rather coriaceous, lanceolate ovate- or 

 obovate-lanceolate or oblong, obtuse or subacute, sometimes rounded towards 

 the apex, undulate-crenate or entire, 1|— 3 in. long, 10-15 lines broad. Pe- 

 tiole 1-2 lines long. "Fruit puberulous, much exceeding the calyx. — Fla- 

 courtiaobtitsa, Hochst. in Schimp. PI. Abyss. 534. Rowmea abi/ssinica, 'Rich. 

 Fl. Abyss. 34. t. 8. 



Nile Iiand. Abyssinia, Schimper ! 



2. A. verrucosa, Eochst. ; Rich. Fl. Ahyss. 34. With or without 

 sharp, straight, axillary spines ; the bark often thickly warted with minute 

 lenticels. Leaves coriaceous or rigid, somewhat veiny, lanceolate varying to 

 ovate-lanceolate or obovate, obtuse, sometimes retuse, undulate or entire, 1-2 j 

 in. long, f-1 in. broad. Petiole about 1 in. long. Berry edible, glabrous, 

 exceeding the calyx, 2-celled, with a very thin dissepiment ; 2-seeded. 



Nile Land. Abyssinia, Aber mountains (whence the name of the genus), Schimper ! 

 Ankober, Roth ! 



3. A. ? macrocalyx, Oliv. A small tree with spreading branches, the 

 extremities at first puberulous, soon glabrous and more or less verruculose, 

 anned with slender straight spreading or ascending axillary spines, ^-1 in. 

 long. Leaves thinly coriaceous, ovate-elliptical elliptical or oval, obtuse or 

 scarcely acute, obtuse or rounded and subtiiplinerved at the base, entire, the 

 midrib prominent below, 1^-2^ in. long, |— Ij in. broad. Petiole 1 line. 

 Flowers not seen, solitary or in few-flowered axillary fascicles. Fruit solitary, 

 axillary, on a peduncle of 2-3 lines, articulated at the base. Sepals 6-8, 

 persistent, free, broadly fimbriate-ciliate with numerous long, slender, mi- 

 nutely pilose, capitate glands, 8-10 lines long; nearly or quite equalling the 

 orange-scarlet ovoid berry. Styles 2, short, filiform, erect, hairy, persistent. 

 Seeds 2, imbedded in pulp, with the testa covered with a lax w^ool (accord- 

 ing to Dr. Welwitsch, who describes the seed as albuminous, with a large 

 straight embryo, ovate-cordate cotyledons, and a superior radicle). 



liower Guinea. Angola, Distr. Pungo Andongo (and Huilla?), Br. Welwitsch! 



Were it not that in 3 or 4 of the persistent calyxes," from which the fruit has fallen (or 

 aborted), I find a single attached petal much shorter than the calyx, I should have had less 

 hesitation in referring this plant to Aberia. 



4. A. mollis, Oliv. A small, much-branched tree of about 10 ft., with 



