Si'curidacn.'] XV. POLYfi.vLE.E (olivku). j35 



to (ho above, with short lafcral braiiclios reduced to sharp spinos and not viildiiitr a lihn-, 

 but th(! leaves and fruit allbrd no distiiietive character. ,\ similar plant ocimus at'l)».la"..a 

 Bay ( Forbes \\\ Herb. Kevv.). .This may he the plant descrilicd by Ucirhcnba.-h .as //,7, . 

 ropteiifs macroptera, referred to by A. de Jnssien, Mmiog. .Malpigh. 227. 



2. S. "Welwitschii, Iv. A l;ir<ro shrub often rlimbinjr to a {^nat 

 heiglit, witli sinootli iuid glabrous braiu'lies. Lravos tliinly coriarcoiis witli 

 curved loopitio; lateral V(;itis, l)roa(lly elliptical or varviuL? froui ( bovatc- to 

 ovate-eni])tical, usually shortly iiud obtusely or acutely acuuiinate, curieatc 

 broadly rounded or raiely subcordatc at tlu; bas(;, jilabroiis, shiniu'^ above, 

 rather paler and somewhat opacpie benetith, 2 \ in. lou<;, 1-2} in. broad; 

 petiole \ in. or less. Flowers white or siil[)hur-yc]low or petals rose-coloiuvci 

 at the base, in axillary simple branched or fascicled racemes shorter tliaTi the 

 leaves or in terminal pyramidal pameles consistin<; of alternate snccessivciv 

 shorter spreadinjjj or ascending racemes l^racts deciduous ; pedicels tili'- 

 form, \-^ in. long, spreading, Thrc^e outer sepals orbicul.-ir, -yV-To »"• 

 Wing-sepals three to four times as long, orbicular, concave, while, l.ateral 

 ])etals oblong or obovate. Samara about 2 in. long, not niiicli excecdin"- -J- 

 in. in breadth above, gradually narrowed below. — S.Jloribmtda, Welw, .\pont. 

 rhyto-geog. (non Benth.) 562. 



Upper Guinea. Camaroons and ^Mnni rivers, Mtoh) ! 



Lower Guinea. Angola, prov. Golu)igo .Alto, I)r. Welwifsch ! 



The iiillorcscciice varies as iu other lianes forming the (lowering crown of forest trees. 



3. CARPOLOBIA, G. Don; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. V\. i. 1:39. 



Flowers irregidar. Sepals 5, free; 2 inner usnally distinctly larger. Pe- 

 tals 5, nearly equal, adnate below to the staniinal sheath; median petal (keel) 

 galeate. Stamens 5, monadelphous ; the sheath open above, adnate to the 

 petals; anthers 2-loeiilar, dehiscing as in Securidaca. Ovary 3-celled, with 

 one ovule in each cell ; style incurved above. Fruit 3-2-lobed, 3-2-see(led, 

 or globose and 1-seeded, more or less fleshy or pulpy when ripe, with a coria- 

 ceous epicarp. Seed with hairy testa, and co[)ious fleshy albumen. — Ever- 

 green shrubs, with alternate entire leaves. Flowers white and pui-])le or 

 yellowish, in short axillary racemes or fascicles. 



I am by no means sure that the two forms described here as specifically distinct, mit'lit 

 not more correctly be regarded as modifications of one species. The only im|)ortant ditlir- 

 ence Ix tween them is in the relative size of the outer and inner sc[ials. The genus is con- 

 fined to W. tropical Africa. 



Innermost sepals twice as long as outermost 1. C. alba. 



Sepals subequal or innermost a little larger 2. C. tulm. 



1. C. alba, Don, Gen. Si/st. i. 370. A small tree or shrul), attairn'ng 

 8-UJ ft. Branches shortly pubescent or pid)erulous. Leaves firiidy nicm- 

 branous or subcoriaceous, oblong-elliptical or varying from oblaneeolatc to 

 obovate-elliptieal, with an acute or rather obtuse more or less abrtipt acu- 

 men ; base narrowed to the petiole or cuneate, glabrous or nearly so^ nsu.dly 

 2-4 in. long, ^-l\ in. wide; petiole about 1 line. Flowers white or petals 

 purple- or violet-tip|)ed, in axillary fascicles or very short racemes of 2 to i 

 or solitary ; pedicels 1 3 lines. Sepals more or less ovate din use or rallur 



