Nescea.] lviii. lythrace^e (hiern). 475 



Leaves linear or lanceolate, narrowed at base, usually acute at apex. 

 J-f in. long, scaly or glabrous, opposite, patent, 1 -nerved. Peduncles 

 nearly as loDg as leaves, glabrous or with patent bristles. Capitula 

 solitary, bearing from 3 to many flowers, surrounded at base by 2 im- 

 bricated broadly cordate acuminate bracts; bracteoles linear-oblong, 

 ciliate, at least near apex, 8-12-nerved. Calyx with 4-6 short del- 

 toid lobes and as many longer erect subulate ciliate cornua. Petals 

 4-6, lilac. Stamens as many or twice as many as lobes of calyx. — N. 

 humiliSj Kl. 



Upper Guinea. Senegal, Heudelot! fl. Oct. and Nov. Ingram! 



Nile Land. Abyssinia, Q. -Dillon! 



Lower Guinea. Angola, Mossamedes, fl. September, Dr. Welwitsch ! 



Mozamb. Distr. Mozambique, JPtters! 



Occurs also in Madagascar. 



Grows in wet gravelly places. 



11. N. cor data, Hiern. Erect, annual, branched, quadrangular 

 above, scabrous or subglabrous, 2^-9 in. long. Leaves ovate-lanceo- 

 late or lanceolate, cordate at base, opposite, sessile, acute, J-J in. long, 

 asperulous. Peduncles usually rather shorter than the leaves, subgla- 

 brous. Capitula numerous, solitary, about 5-flowered, surrounded at 

 base by 2 imbricated broadly cordate acuminate cymbiform bracts; 

 bracteoles linear acute, ciliate. Flowers subsessile, small. Calyx 

 campanulate, with 8-12 ribs and 4-6 deltoid lobes and as many longer 

 erect ciliate cornua. Petals 4-6, rose-coloured, longer than calyx- 

 lobes, shorter than the cornua, caducous or wanting*. Stamens as many 

 or twice as many as lobes of calyx, exserted. Ovary sessile. 



Upper Guinea. Niger, Barter! 



Nile Land. Madi, Speke and Grant I {tf. erecta, S. & G. Journ. App.) 

 Lower Guinea. Angola, Pungo Andongo, 2400-3800 ft. alt. Fl. March, fr. early 

 in April, Wtlwitsch ! 

 Grows in swamps. 



12. N. linearis, Hiern. Glabrous annual, about 2 ft. high, with 

 erect stem, subterete at base, subquadrangular by decurrence of leaves 

 and much branched above. Leaves linear, acute, 1- veined, opposite, 

 narrowly decurrent, 1-3 in. long. Capitula large, terminal on ends of 

 branches, thick and man} r -flowered, surrounded at base by several im- 

 bricated bracts, immediately below which are a pair of linear leaves. 

 Bracts reniform, much acuminate, venose, with some clusters of flowers 

 interspersed. Flowers in subsessile clusters and subsessile in the 

 cluster, each with a bracteole partly enclosing it ; bracteoles oblong, 

 auricled and acuminate at the apex, in fact nearly the obverse of the 

 bracts on a smaller scale, folded round the flowers in a conduplicate 

 manner, other smaller bracteoles interspersed (abortive flowers ?). 

 Flowers pentamerous, rarely tetramerous ; in the former case, calyx 

 campanulate, membranous, 10-nerved, with 5 deltoid acute lobes in- 

 clining inwards, and as many longer cornua ; cornua erect or arching 

 first outwards and then upwards, simple, or slightly divided irregularly 

 in upper part. Petals 5, narrowly obovate, caducous, nearly as long 

 as the tube of the calyx, purple (?), or wanting. Stamens 10, inserted 



