Polygala.'] XV. P0LYGALE2E (OLIVER). 127 



erect, perennial, branching, showy herb attaining 3-6 ft. in hei|^ht, glabrous 

 below, minutely pilose or pubescent above. Leaves firmly membranous, as- 

 cending, very shortly petiolate, linear-lanceolate or linear, acute, in' the 

 broader forms narrowed to each end, glabrous or pilulose, 2-3 in. long 

 from 3^-3 in- broad. Uaceraes erect, terminal, ample, many-flowered, often 

 6-12 in. long, l|-2^ in. diam. ; bracts and bracteoles persistent or soon 

 deciduous, membranous, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, the former often with 

 a subulate or aristate tip and \ in. in length. Pedicels patent, usually | in. 

 or under, slender, pilose with spreading hairs. Outer sepals pilose exter- 

 nally. Wing-sepals orbicular, netted from the base with numerous radiating 

 anastomosing nervures, pale or assuming a brilliant crimson, about \ in. 

 diam. Lateral petals sharply and obliquely recurved, oblong, with an auricled 

 loop on the outer margin on passing into the dilated pilose base, shorter than 

 the ample much incurved or galeate keel. Capsule obovate-oblong or broadly 

 obcordate, much shorter than the wings, narrowly alate. 



Lower Ouinea. Angola, prov. Huilla, Dr. Welwitach ! 



Mozamb. Distr. Lake Nyassa, Br. Kirk ! 



2. P. multiflora, Poir. ; DC. Prod. i. 333 ^x descr.). An erect, ap- . 

 parently shrubby plant of probably 2-3 ft., minutely puberulous above, the 

 hairs sometimes collected in faint longitudinal lines, with ascending, firm, 

 flowering branches from the base of the primary, elongate, erect, terminal 

 raceme. Leaves linear, tapering towards the ends, 2-3 in. long, \ in. wide. 

 Eacemes at length 9-12 in.; bracts persistent, minute. Pedicels filiform, 

 spreading, equalling or exceeding the outer sepals. Wing-sepals obliquely 

 rotundate, shortly unguiculate, with about 5 looping nerves. Lateral petals 

 broadly elliptical with a recurved tooth towards the base on the inner side. 

 Capsule elliptic-oblong, retuse, ciliate, not winged. 



Upper Guinea. Sierra Leone ! 



Excepting that Poiret includes P. muUiflora amongst the species characterized by corolla 

 imberbii, our plant agrees very well with his description. His plant, moreover, was from 

 Sierra Leone {Commerson). P. Donii, Hook. f. Fl. Nigrit. 222, I have not seen, but from 

 the description I think it may be identical with the above. 



3. P. tenuicanlis. Hook. f. in Journ. Linn. Soc. vii. 182. An erect or 

 ascending, more or less branched annual, the stem minutely pubescent or pu- 

 berulous, 1-3 ft. in height. Leaves linear, tapering to an acute point or in 

 larger-leaved forms rather obtuse, minutely pubescent or glabrate, 5~6 in. 

 long, 1-5 lines broad. Flowers reddish, in terminal, many-flowered, often 

 rather dense, secund racemes. Pedicels equalling the outer sepals, or flowers 

 subsessile ; bracts lanceolate-subulate, persistent, at length spreading or re- 

 curved. Wing-sepals ovate-rotuudate or broadly obovate, with 3-5 principal 

 looping nerves. Lateral petals obliquely ovate or ovate-oblong, entire or 

 with a broad depression on the inner side. Capsule quadrate-elliptical to 

 obovate-oblong, retuse, ciliolate, rather shorter than the wings, scarcely or 

 not at all winged. 



Upper Qainea. Camaroons monntain, 7000 ft., Mann I 



Var. longifolia. Leaves attaining 6 in. Racemes very dense. Nupe and on the Kwom, 

 Barter I 



4. P, sparsiflora, Oliv. A very slender, simple or forked, erect, mi- 



