Vismia.'] xxi. hypekicine^ (oliver). 161 



Leaves rather coriaceous, opposite, broadly elliptical, apiculate, with a cordate 

 base, punctate with numerous opaque glands, glabrous, or prominent midrib 

 obsoletely puberulous beneath, 3-4 in. long, 2-.'^^ in. broad; petioles 2-4 

 lines, connected by a prominent or winged interpetiolar ridge. Inflorescence 

 paniculate, trichotomous, equalling or exceeding the leaves, consisting of 

 numerous small, subumbellate flowers on pedicels about equalling the sc-pals. 

 Sepals ovate-lanceolate, rather obtuse, half as long as the petals, nearly 

 glabrous, with conspicuous black glands. Stamens 4-6 in each linear pha- 

 lange. Glands thick, notched, rather shorter than the ovary. Ovary sub- 

 5-locular, the placentas imperfectly cohering ; ovules about 5 in each cell, 

 ascending. 



Upper Guinea. River Muni, Mann ! 

 I have not seen the fruit. 



2. V. leonensis. Hook. f. Fl. Nigrit. 243. A small tree. Leafy 

 branchlets opposite, rusty-pubescent at first. Leaves opposite, rather coria- 

 ceous, elliptical or elliptic-lanceolate, narrowed to each extremity, glabrous 

 above, obsoletely pubescent or glabrescent beneath, rusty-pubescent on expan- 

 sion, 2-4 in. long, ^-\\ in. broad ; petioles 2-3 lines long, connected by a 

 faint interpetiolar ridge. Flowers in pedunculate umbellate axillary panicles 

 or cymes or from the axils of and shorter than the last pair of leaves ; pe- 

 dicels pubescent, three to four times as long as the sepals. Sepals ovate- 

 oblong, obtuse, concave, obtusely keeled, about half as long as the petals, 

 v^'hich are densely pilose within. Stamens numerous (20-40 in the Bagroo 

 plant) in each phalange; filaments free above on the outer side. Ovary 

 5-celled ; ovules 10-12 in each cell, biseriate, the lower horizontal, the upper 

 ascending. Seeds in-egularly compressed, 6 or more in each cell of the fruit. 

 ~— Hypericum guineense, Linn. Amoen. Acad. vii. 321. t. 8. fig. 1 ? 



Upper Guinea. Sierra Leone, T. Yogell Bagroo river, Mann! 

 Dr. Vogel described this species as cultivated. As the Bagroo specimens are in flower 

 only and those from Sierra Leone in young fruit, it is possible that they may prove distinct. 



3. V. affinis, Oliv. A small tree. Extremities slender, glabrous and 

 apparently somewhat glaucous, with a ring of short tufted rusty hairs at the 

 origin of the axillary ramuli. Leaves opposite, very thinly coriaceous or 

 membranous, elliptical, usually more or less acute or slightly acuminate, nar- 

 rowed or broadly cuneate at the base, obsoletely and remotely undulate-cre- 

 nate, glabrous, l|-3 in. long, \-\\ in. broad (occasionally 4 by \\ in.) ; 

 petiole 1-3 lines. Cymes somewhat umbellate, shortly pedunculate, 1-1^ 

 in. diam. Peduncle \ in. or shorter; pedicels equalling or exceeding the 

 flower, with the calyx rusty-toraentose. Sepals not perceptibly keeled, ob- 

 long- or ovate-lanceolate. Stamens about 7 in each phalange. Ovules ap- 

 parently 4-8 in each cell. Ripe fruit not seen. 



Ijower Guinea. Golungo Alto, Angola, Dr. JFelmtsch ! 



Nearly allied in all technical characters to V.frcndosa, though with a distinct fades, 

 owing to the smaller, more elliptical, and much thinner leaves and much smaller cymes, ll 

 may prove a variety, though I find no intermediate forms to justify me in uniting it to that 

 species. 



4. V. frondosa, Oliv. A small spreading tree. Branches glabrous, 

 VOL. I. o 



