354 XXXIX. OLACiNE.f: (oliver). [Desmodachys. 



long-elliptical or obovate-oblong, rather abruptly and acutely cuspidate or 

 shortly acuminate, cuneate or rounded at the base, entire, distantly penni- 

 veined, 5-7 in. long, lf-3 in. broad ; petiole \-\ in. Spikes slender, soli- 

 tary or two or three together from the axils or supra-axillary, from 3-15 in. 

 in length, shortly pubescent or the pubescence at length disposed in one or 

 two lines or upon the edges of the slightly compressed rachis. Plowers 

 white, about 1| lines, sessile, ebracteate, spreading, singly scattered in a 

 single line or distichous, often in various stages of development at the same 

 part of the spike. Calyx 4-partite. Anthers minute, rotundate. Ovary 

 very small, obovoid. Fruit not seen. 



Upper Guinea. Fernando Po, Barter ! 



Var. /3. Spikes shorter than the leaves, Small Ilobi Island, Mann! 



It appears to me rather probable that Sarcostigma Vogel'd^ Miers (Contrib. Bot. i. 104. 

 t. 19) may be referable to this species. The only specimens in Herb. Kew are destitute 

 both of flower and fruit. 



2. D. Planchonianus, Mle.rs, Contrih. Bot. i. 68. t. 9. Scandent. 

 Extremities t-erete. Leaves coriaceous, shining above, obovate-oblong to 

 oblong or oval-oblong, shortly and rather obtusely apiculate, cuneate or 

 slightly rounded at the base, rather prominently penniveined, entire, glabrous, 

 2-4 in. long, li-ly in. broad ; petiole about 2 lines. Spikes slender, shorter 

 than the leaves in our specimens, solitary or two or three together, pubescent. 

 Flowers 1| lines, minutely bracteate. Calyx 4-5-fid, with ovate lobes. An- 

 thers shortly oblong. Ovary densely pilose. — D. tdtidus, Planch, in Herb. 



Mozaiub. Distr. Mozambique, Forbes ! 

 Also in Madagascar. 



11. LEPTAULUS, Benth.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. i. 351. 



Calyx deeply 5-lobed ; lobes slightly imbricate. Petals 5, united nearly, 

 to the apex ; lobes valvate, with inflexed tips. Stamens 5, alternate with 

 the corolla-lobes ; filaments adnate nearly throughout. Disk 0. Ovary 1- , 

 celled, slightly oblique above ; style filiform ; stigma slightly dilated, minute ; 

 ovules geminate, pendulous. Fruit a coriaceous, oblong-ovoid, pointed drupe, 

 1-celled, 1-seeded. Seed pendulous, sulcate on one face, tuberculate-rugose ; 

 embryo...? — A glabrous shrub. Leaves alternate, entire, rather coriaceous. 

 Flowers in extra-axillary, many-floAvered, subumbellate, very shortly pedun- 

 culate or sessile cymes. 



The following is the only species which I have seen. 



1. Li. daphnoideSy Benth. I.e. A perfectly glabrous shrub, attaining 

 12 ft.; extremities terete. Leaves petiolate, penniveined, rather coriaceous, 

 oblong-elliptical, shortly acuminate, cuneate at the base, 3^-11 in. long, 

 lf-4 in. broad; petiole \-\ in. Flowers \-\ in. long, slender; pedicels 

 equalling or slightly exceeding the calyx or flowers nearly sessile, collected in 

 sessile or very shortly pedunculate, many-flowered, extra-axillary cymes. 

 Calyx deeply 5-lobed, many times shorter than the corolla. Fruit more or 

 less pointed, 1-1^ in. long, with the persistent unchanged calyx. 



