468 LVIII. LYTHRACE2E (HIERN). 



at apex, subcordate or subauricled at base, subsessile, spreading, 2 in. 

 long-. Flowers sessile, with minute linear bracts. Calyx scarious, with 

 ovate-oblong tube and 4 ovate-lanceolate acute lobes, not cornuate nor 

 accrescent, early lacerated by dehiscence of valves of capsule. Petals 

 wanting or caducous. Stamens 2, arising from near base of calycine 

 tube and rather shorter than the calyx. Style short. Capsule 3-valved, 

 dehiscing widely. — Ammannia elatinoides, Hb. Schimp. Abyss. 9, ii. 

 n. 1187! (nonDC.) 



Nile Land. Abyssinia, in marshes, Schimper ! 



6. R. filiformis, Hum. A csespitose annual, with erect or ascend- 

 ing simple or branched leafy quadrangular stems, 1-6 in. high. Leaves 

 varying from ovate to linear-subulate, blunt, decussate, spreading, 1-8 

 lines long, not exceeding 1 line in width, subsessile and subcordate ; in- 

 ternodes shortening upwards. Flowers solitary and subsessile in the 

 axils of all the leaves except near the base of the plant ; bracts 

 lateral, subulate at the base of the calyx. Calyx campanulate, with 4 

 rather short deltoid acute lobes, tender, not cornuate nor accrescent, 

 sometimes purplish. Petals or scarcely any. Stamens 2, lateral, in- 

 cluded in the calyx-tube and inserted near its middle. Style short ; 

 ovary included, 2-celled. Capsule 2-valved, exceeding the calyx, at 

 length dark purple ; embryo straight. — Suffrenia Jiliformis, Bell ; DC. 

 Prod. iii. 76 ; S. capensis, Harv. Thes. Cap. ii. 56, 1. 189. 



Lower Guinea. Benguela, Hnilla, Dr. Welwitsch! Angola, PuDgo Andongo, 

 2400 r 3800 ft. alt., fl. and fr. March, Dr. Welwitsch! 

 South Central. Inland near Victoria Falls, Kirk ! 



7. R. fontinalis, Biern. An erect or ascending simple or branched 

 annual or perennial, 2-7 in. high. Stem quadrangular, rooting, and 

 often creeping at the base, leafy. Leaves oval, subsessile, rounded at 

 the' apex, decussate, often wider towards the base and broadly cordate, 

 not exceeding \ in. long, the upper ones imbricating, the rest patent; 

 lower internodes longer than the leaves, upper ones shorter. Flowers 

 solitary and sessile in the crowded axils of the upper leaves, with 2 

 lateral small subulate bracts at the base of the calyx. Calyx campanu- 

 late with 4 deltoid lobes of a deep rose colour and without cornua, not 

 accrescent. Petals 4, small, caducous. Stamens 4, exceeding the calyx- 

 tube. Ovary ellipsoidal, 2-celled, included in the calyx-tube ; style ex- 

 ceeding the calyx. Capsule 2-valved, exceeding the calyx-tube, dehis- 

 cing septifragally. Seeds ovoid, concave on one side, convex on the 

 other ; embryo with short radicle, slightly curved in an accumbent 

 manner. 



Lower Guinea. Congo. Chr. Smith I Angola, Pungo Andongo, 2400-3800 ft. alt., 

 fl. and fr. March, Dr. Welwitsch! 



8. R. mimmularia, Welrv. mss. Perennial, glaucous- green, rather 

 fleshy. Stems erect or ascending, crowded,, simple or branched, 1-7 in. 

 high, leafy. Leaves decussate, elliptic roundly ovate or subrotund, 

 the broader ones cordate and sessile or floral ones smaller subcordate 



