I 



Sckmidelia.] xLiv. SAPiNDACEiE (baker). 425 



cemes from the axils of the leaves, sometimes 2 or 3 from the same point. 

 Racliis, pedicels, and sepals ferruginco-pulverulent, the pedicels equalliiij? the 

 globose flower, which is under i line lon^r. Petals 0. Stamens equalling 

 the calyx, the filaments downy. Female flowers and fruit not seen. 



Upper Guinea. Sierra del Crystal, .Afann ! 



Very near to the E. Indian S. Jllophyliis, DC, but the flowers sraaller. 



S. ? reflexa, 5a/t6T. A small tree, 15 ft. hif,'h, with strong, wo<Kly, 

 terete, -grey-villose branches. Petioles 3-4 in. lon<r, woody, densely grey- 

 villose. Leaves simple, oblong, 10-12 in. long by about half as broa'd, nar- 

 rowed from the middle to both ends, the point acute, the base rounded, the 

 edge quite entire, texture membranous, upper surface glabrous and briijht 

 green, lower finely grey-downy on the raised veins. Flowers in lax, sub- 

 sessile, simple racemes, 2-3 in. long from the axils of the leaves, somctimi-s 

 2 or 3 from a point. Axis and" pedicels tinely grcy-villose, the latter equal- 

 ling the globose flower which is \ line long. Sepals 4-5, finely downy, 

 bright purple, unequal, roundish or oblong, at first spreading like a cross, 

 finally quite reflexed. Petals 0. Stamens slightly exceeding the petals. 

 Female flowers and fruit not known. 



Upper Guinea. Banks of the river Muni, Mann ! 



In the calyx this diflfers conspicuously from all the other species. 



5. CUPANIA, Linn. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. i. 399. 



Flowers regular, polygamo-dioeciotis. Sepals 4-5 (rarely 3 or 6), broadly 

 imbricated. Petals 4-5 or absent, glabrous or villose, often furnished with 

 one or two scales. Disk equal, annular, tumid, crenate, glabrous or tomcn- 

 tose. Stajnens usually 8, but varying from 5-12, inserted beneath the disk, 

 centrical : filaments usually short, glabrous or villose ; anthers included. 

 Ovary ovoid or obovoid, 2-3- or rarely 4-celled ;' style short or elongated, 

 sometimes 2-fid or 3 -fid, the stigma simple or lobed. Ovules solitary in the 

 cells, affixed to the axis near the base. Capsule ovoid or obovoid, rarely 

 subglobose, subcarnose crustaceous or bony, 2-4-lobed, 2-4-celled, 2-4- 

 valved, the lobes connate or nearly free. Seeds subglobose or oblong, usually 

 arillate, with a crustaceous or coriaceous testa. Embryo thick, cur^-ed, the 

 cotyledons plano-convex, the radicle inflexed. — Trees or erect shrubs. 



A considerable genus, with numerous representatives in tropical Asia and America, but 

 only one in tropical Africa. 



1. C. ferruginea, Baker. A climbing shrub 15-20 ft. hii^h. with 

 strong woody branches, densely clothed with spreading, almost bristly, ferru- 

 ginous hairs \ in. long. Petiole of fidl grown leaves 3 4 in. long, clothed 

 like the branches. Leaves imparipinnate or abruptly pinnate, with 3 or 4 

 pairs of sessile or short-stalked, oblong or oblanccolate, erecto-patent leaflets, 

 2-3 in. apart, the upper pairs 1 ft. long, 3-4 in. broad, the point acute, the 

 base subcuneate, the ed^t denticulate, texture subcoriaecous, upper surface 

 pale green, glabrous, lower slightly villose upon the midrib and raised veins, 

 ultimately glabrous. Flowers In axillary and copious terminal panicles some- 

 times 1 ft. long, the rachis and erecto-patent branches rigid and densely fcr- 



