Polygala!] xv. poLYGALEiE (oliver). 129 



persistent. Wing-sepals oval or obliquely elliptical, pubescent, with a prin- 

 cipal median often broadly herbaceous nerve, and faint looping and divergent 

 lateral ones. Lateral petals obovate to ovate. Capsule ovate-elliptical to 

 obovate, emarginate, pubescent, scarcely winged, shorter than the win';- 

 sepals.— P. Fahliana, DC. Prod. i. 320. P. erioptera, DC. I.e. ; Deless. 

 Ic. iii. t. 15. P. obtusata, DC. 1. c. P. oUganlha, Rich. Fl. Abyss, i. 38. 

 P. retusa and P. nubica, Hochst. in^Pl. Kotschy, Nub. P. linearis, R. Br. 

 in Salt, Abyss. App. 65. 



Var. a. diffusa. Leaves linear-oblong, usually obtuse. 

 North Central. Kouka, Central Africa, ^. Vogel ! 

 Nile Land. Kordofan, A'o^^^r^^ / Huhi^, Sc/iweinfurth / 

 Ijower Guinea. Angola, Prov. Loanda, Br. Welwitsch ! 

 Var. )3. erecta. Leaves narrow-linear. 

 Upper Guinea. Senegambia, Perrottet ! 

 Nile Land. Kordofan, Kotschy ! Abyssinia, Schimper ! 

 Also in the Cape Verde Islands. 



I believe the above to be forms of one widely-distributed species, extending cast to India, 

 where it appears to be common. 



7. P. persicarisefolia, DC. Trod. i. 326. An erect or decumbent, 

 usually branching annual, of 1-3 ft. Stem thinly pilose pubescent or pube- 

 rulous. Leaves membranous, oval to linear-lanceolate, acute acuminate or 

 rather obtuse, mucronulate, shortly hispid-pubescent or -puberulous, at least 

 when young, 1-3^ in. long, \\-^ lines broad, subsessile or shortly petiolate. 

 Flowers in extra-axillary or terminal racemes or from the forks, growing out 

 to 2-4 in. or the lower flowers fascicled in the axils of the leaves, which 

 much exceed them. Pedicels capillary below, spreading, exceeding or about 

 equalling the outer sepals. Bracts subulate, spreading or reflexed, persistent. 

 Wing-sepals rotundate-ovate, obtuse, with 3-5 looping nerves, glabrous or 

 nearly so, exceeding the quadrate-rotundate, emarginate, narrowly-winged 

 ciliolate capsule. Lateral petals abruptly narrowed, semi-hastate or hooked 

 at the base inside. — Wall. PI. As. Rar. ii. 79. t. 184. P. sphetwptera, Fres. 

 in Mus. Senck. ii. 274 (probably a stunted form, similar to a specimen in 

 Herb. Kew. from Abyssinia, Roth). P. Wallichiana, Wt. 111. i. 49. t. 22 A. 

 P. Quartiniana, Rich, in Ann. Sc. Nat. Ser. 2. xiv. 263 ; Fl. Abyss. Atlas, 

 t. 9. P. granulata, Hochst., and P. punciulata, Hochst. Rich. Fl. Abyss, i. 

 39. P. hypericoides, Webb, Frag. Fl. ^Ethiop. 31 (a form with tufts of 

 flowers from the axils of the lower leaves). 



Nile Land. Alyssinia, Schimper ! Schweinfurth ! 



Lower Guinea. Bumbo, Angola, Dr. ff'elwitsch I 



Mozamb. Distr. Zambesi, Dr. Kirk! 



Var. latifolia. Decumbent. Leaves oval, penniveined, strigillosc-pubesceut on the veins 

 beneath. Manganya Hills, 3000 ft., Dr. Kirk ! 



Occurs in S. extratropical Africa, also iu the Himalaya and mountains of peninsular 

 India. 



8. P. Senensis, Klotzsch in Peters' Mossnmb. Pot. 113. — A rnthfr wiry 

 or rigid puberulous herb or undershrub, 1-2 ft. high in the suftVutcscent 

 form, with straight, divaricate branches. Leaves oblanceolate to oblong, ob- 

 tuse, occasionally somewhat pointed, puberulous, usually -J-U in. long, 2-4 

 lines broad ; petiole \ line or leaves subsessile. Flowers in very short, 



VOL. I. F 



