306 xlvii. § C2ESALPINIE.E (oliver). [Brachystegia. 



narrowed or obtuse, midrib slightly eccentric; 1-2 in. long, 3-fin. 

 broad, the upper usually the larger, subsessile, or the upper margin of 

 the lamina J-l line above the lower ; common petiole slender J— 1 in. 

 between each pair of leaflets bearing at the insertion of each a pair of 

 small glands. Flowers " greenish-white," in very dense, terminal, 

 simple, or slightly branched racemes 1-3 in. long. Bracts very early 

 caducous, very small, linear (Mr. Bentham). Involucral bracteoles 

 3-4 lines long, thin, elliptical or obovate, pubescent outside, spreading 

 at flowering. Perianth reduced to 2 (or 3) minute, narrow-linear or 

 -spathulate ciliolate unequal scales, 1 line long or less. Staminal tube 

 shorter than the stipes of the pilose ovary. Style elongate glabrous. 

 Ovules 5-6. Legume 2-valved, oblong, 3^ <\\ in. long, 1-1 \ in. broad ; 

 valves thin but very hard and woody, smooth and glabrous externally. 

 Seeds compressed, elliptical or obovate, \-\ in. long. 



South Central. Highlands of Batoka country, Dr. Kirk ! 

 Mozamb. Distr. Near Lake Shirwa, Dr. Meller ! 



The seeds are eaten, and the fibrous bark beaten out into a substitute for cloth by 

 the natives. {Dr. Kirk.) 



2. B. spicseformis, Benth. in Linn. Trans, xxv. 312. A tree of 

 20-40 ft. or higher ; leafy shoots pubescent, at length glabrate. 

 Leaflets thinly coriaceous, usually in 4-6 pairs, more rarely 2-3-jugate, 

 ovate-elliptical or varying to oval-oblong obtuse often minutely emar- 

 ginate or shortly and obtusely pointed, base unequally rounded, penni- 

 veined with rather prominent reticulation, or in some luxuriant leaves 

 the lower half of the leaflet with 3 or 4 ascending secondary nervures 

 from the base, minutely pubescent or glabrate; 1—1 J or occasionally 

 over 2 in. in length ; petiolule distinct but very short, with a glandular 

 or stipelliform dilatation at the base. Stipules linear, membranous, 

 early deciduous. Flowers subsessile in terminal, simple, very dense, 

 ferruginous, spiciform, ovoid or oblong-ovoid racemes 1 or 2 in. long, 

 much exceeded by the leaves. Bracts linear to obovate-oblong 2—3 lines 

 long, deciduous. Involucral bracteoles obovate or elliptical J— J in. long. 

 Perianth usually reduced to 2 linear or lanceolate ciliate scales about 

 1 line in length, alternating with the bracteoles ; occasionally a few 

 additional minute scales are present. Stamens 10—13, unequally and 

 distinctly monadelphous, glabrous. Ovary laxly or substrigose-pilose 

 on a stipes of its own length ; ovules 7—8. Legume at right angles 

 to the short stout stipes, broadly more or less oblong, ventral suture 

 slightly thickened, terminating in a short, straight, pungent apiculus ; 

 valves thickly woody-coriaceous, at length smooth, 3-4J in. long, 

 lj-ljin. broad. 



Lower Guinea. Huilla, Angola, Dr. Welwitsch! Var. grandiflora, Benth. I.e. 

 Bracts linear or oblong channelled. Bracteoles oblanceolate, puberulous externally, 

 \ in. long. Pedicels about 1 line. Sierra da Hella, Huilla, Dr. Welwitsch! 



Mozamb. Distr. Robeho mountains, Zanzibar, Speke and Grant! 



Speke and Grant remark that the bark is employed in various fabrics by the natives, 

 and that a red juice exudes on cutting it. 



