Zizi/phuS."] XLTT. KHAMNEiE (HEMSLEY). 381 



We have what appears to be a fourth species from Congo, Smith, and Tette, Kirk, but 

 only in young fruit and insufficient for description. Leaves ovate-lanceolate or oblong, re- 

 motely toothed, glabrous or slightly pubescent beneath, immature fruit, obovate. We have 

 also a fragment of another very distinct species from the Zambesi Expedition, with leaves 

 strongly 3-nerved and tomeutose on both sides. Both are destitute of stipulary spines. 



3. BERCHEMIA, Neck. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Pi. i. 377. 



C;ilyx-tul)e short, hemispherical or turbinate, 5-lobe(l ; lobes ovate, acute, 

 spreading, with a raised line inside. Petals 5, obovate or Innceoh'ite, hood- 

 shaped. Stamens 5, equalling the petals ; anthers large ; filaments filiform. 

 Disk clothing the calyx-tube, margin free. Ovary immersed in the disk, free, 

 ovoid, 2-celled, attenuated into a 2-fid style ; stigmas terminal, obtuse. 

 Drupe oblong, obtuse or acute; putamen crustaceous or woody, 2-celled. 

 Seeds linear-oblong; testa membranous ; raphe lateral; albumen fleshy. 

 Cotyledons narrow-oblong ; radicle short. — Trees or shrubs, climbing or 

 erect. Leaves alternate or subopposite, petiolate, ovate or oblong, obtuse or 

 acute, coriaceous, penninerved, glaucous beneath. Stipules small, deciduous. 

 Flowers small, sometimes polygamous, axillary and aiTanged along the 

 spreading branches of terminal panicles, sessile or pedicellate, solitary or 

 clustered. Drupes black, purple or yellow. 



A genus of about 10 species from N. India, China, Java, Africa, and N. .\merica. 



1. B. discolor, Hemsl. A siirub or small tree, glabrous in all its parts. 

 Leaves alternate or subopposite, petiolate, ovate ovate-elliptical or lanceolate, 

 obtuse or acute, sometimes slightly unequal at the base, 1-2^ in. long, entire 

 or obscurely erenate, subcoriaceous, glaucous beneath, shining above, lateral 

 nerves conspicuous. Stipules very deciduous. Cymes axillary, sessile or 

 shortly pedunculate, 6-10-flowered ; pedicels 2-3 lines long. Drupe large, 

 fleshy^ yellow, 6-8 lines long and 2-3 in. in diam., 2-celled, 2-seeded. — 

 Scutia]dlscolor, Klotzsch in Peters' Mossamb. Bot. 110. t. 21. 



Mozamb. Distr. Senna, Dr. Feters (in flower only) ; Tette, Dr. Kirk ! " Wood 

 resinous, fruit edible," Kirk. 



Confined, as far as at present known, to the E. coast of Africa. 



This differs from all previously described species of the genus in its axillary inflorescence 

 and larger fruits. 



We have what appears to be the same plant from Natal, Gerrard. 



4. RHAMNUS, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. i. 377. 



Flowers hermaphrodit or polygamously dioecious. Calyx-tube urceolnte; 

 limb 4-5-lobed ; lobes triangular-ovate, erect or spreading, keeled inside. 

 Petals 4, 5 or none, inserted on the margin of the calyx-tube considerably 

 above the ovary, hood-shaped or flat. Stamens 4 or 5, with very short fila- 

 ments. Disk clothing the calyx-tube, margin tliin. Ovary free, ovoid, 3- or 

 4-celled. Styles 3 or 4 ; stigmas obtuse, papillose. Drupe baccate, globose 

 or oblong, encircled at the base by the calyx-tube, with 2-4 pyrcnes ; pyrenes 

 horny or cartilaginous, dehiscing inwardly or indehiscent. Seeds obovate; 

 testa membranous or crustaceous, smooth or furrowed at the b;irk ; rnpln- 



