Ximenia.] xxxix. olacine/E (olivek). 317 



Nile Land. Abyssinia, Sc/timper ! and others; White Nile, Sp^i^ and Grant > 

 Seniiiir, Cienkows/ci. 



Ijower Guinea. Angola, Dr. Weluitsrh ! 



Mozamb. Distr. Zambesi, Dr. Kirk! 



Var. /3. minnphylla (Welwitsch). A glaucous virgale shrub of 2-4 ft. Lravfii \-\ in. 

 Calyx-lobes shortly and broadly ovale. Style short. Hunibo, Angola, /J/. Hf/iciUch! A 

 letnarkable variety. 



3. PTYCHOPETALUM, Bciitli. ; I'mmHi. d Hook. 1. (ini. I'l. i. 316. 



Calyx obsolete. Petals 5 (4-6), narrow, valvate in festival ion, more «.r 

 less pilose or bearded within about the middle. Stamens 7 or 5 8, oppositf 

 to the petals, when more numerous than the petals 2-6 are inserted in pairs ; 

 filaments aduate more or less to tlie petals, usually longer in the supernu- 

 merary stamens; anthers small, elliptical. Ovary free, glabrous, solid or 

 with slight trace of a cavity near the apex, gradually or abruptly narrowed 

 into the style (ovule solitary, adnate to the wall of the ovary? or, accordiui; 

 to Mr. Bentham, ovules 2 (or 3?), very small, pendulous). Fruit a small 

 crustaceous drupe, 1-seeded. Seed albuminous with a minute embryo withm 

 the apex. — Shrid)s or small trees, glabrous. Leaves alternate, acuminate, 

 entire. Flowers in few-flowered, axillary racemes. 



* A small and imp'^rfectly understood genus, including, besides the following, one Cayenue 

 species. The above description is based upon the African specimens. 



So far as our material enables me to judge, Ptychopetalum may be regarded as a Lnran- 

 thacea with the ovary free from the calyculus or rather not immersed in the axis. M. 

 Baillou remarks the analogy between this genus and Loranlhus in respect to the internal 

 structure of the ovary. 



Extremities terete or nearly so. Leaves elliptical to ovate-lanceolate, 



acuminate; petiole 1-2 lines 1. P. prtio/aUm. 



Extremities 2-edged. Leaves sessile or subsessile, oval-oblong, acumi- 

 nate 2. P. ancrpt. 



1. P. petiolatum, Oliv. A shrub of 12-15 ft.; leafy extremities 

 terete or nearly so. Leaves coriaceous, elliptical elliptic-oblong or ovate- 

 lanceolate, gradually acuminate, base rounded or broadly cuneate, at length 

 narrowing into the petiole ; principal lateral veins 3-5, broadly looping con- 

 siderably within the margin, often inconspicuous ; 3-4 in. long, li--lj in. 

 broad ; petiole 1-2 lines. Flowers in very short axillary racemes ; pedicels 

 rather shorter than the buds. Petals 4-5, shortly bearded within about the 

 middle, recurved near the top. Stamens 5, opposite to the petals or 7, 2 6 

 being adnate in pairs. Ovary glabrous, rather abruptly narrowed at the base 

 of the style. Fruit not seen. 



Upper Guinea. Muni and Kongui rivers, Mann ! 



Apparently very near to the S. American P. olacoides, Beoth., vshich iliifrrs in .i more 

 distinct calyculus and in the nervation of the leaves. 



2. P. anceps, Oliv. A small tiee. Leafy extremities compressed or 

 distinctly 2-edged when dry. Leaves sessile or subsessile, coriaceous, oval- 

 oblong, acuminate, base slightly cordate or entire, more or less roun<led, 

 3^-4^ in. long, 1-1^ in. broad. Flowers in v»ry short axillary racemes; 



