Dissomeria.] lx. samydace2E (masters). 497 



but twice as large, persistent and connivent around the fruit. Glands 

 small, broad, inserted with the petals. Stamens in fascicles of 6 before 

 each petal ; filaments filiform, covered with long spreading" hairs, equal 

 to or longer than the petals. Ovary densely hirsute, styles exserted. 

 Upper Guinea. At the confluence, on the banks of the .Niger, AnseUI 



5. HOMALIUM, Jacq.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant, i. 801. 



Flowers dichlamydeous, hermaphrodite. Flower-tube turbinate ad- 

 nate to the base of the ovary. Sepals 5-6-7, persistent. Petals 6-7, 

 emerging from the throat of the calyx, linear-oblong, flat, persistent. 

 Stamens equal in number to the petals and opposite to them, or in 

 greater numbers arranged in fascicles opposite to them, alternating 

 with as many glands ; filaments thread-like ; anthers small, didymous. 

 Ovary partly adherent ; styles 2-5, thread-like ; stigmas simple or 

 capitellate. Ovules numerous or few, attached to 2-5-parietal pla- 

 centas. Capsule partly adherent, coriaceous, 2-5-valved, few-seeded. 

 Seeds angular or oblong ; testa crustaceous ; albumen fleshy, cotyledons 

 leafy.— Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, stalked, ovate or lanceolate, 

 glandulose, crenate or serrate. Stipules small. Flowers small in 

 slender axillary branched panicles. 



A genus whose members exist in Asia, Northern Australia, the Feejee islands, and 

 Tropical America. The following are the only representatives of the Order on the con- 

 tinent of Tropical Africa, though others exist in Madagascar and Mauritius. 

 Stamens solitary before each petal. 

 Stipules minute . Petals 3 or 4 times longer than the sepals. 



Leaves entire. Panicle dense 1. IT. longistylum. 



Leaves serrated. Panicle lax 2. H. africanum. 



Stipules large, leafy. Petals twice the length of the sepals . 3. H. stipulaceum. 

 Stamens 2-7 before each petal 4. H. angustifolium. 



1. H. longistylum, Mast. A small tree with rug-ose, lenticillate, 

 greyish bark. Leaves glabrous, subcoriaceous, oblong, tapering at the 

 base into a very short petiole, abruptly acuminate, minutely serrulate, 

 2-3 in. long, 1-1 J in. wide. Stipules caducous. Flowers numerous, 

 shortly pedicellate, in dense axillary and terminal much-branched 

 panicles not greatly exceeding the leaves in length. Peduncles and 

 pedicels puberulous. Bracts setaceous, deciduous. Flower-tubes tur- 

 binate, rather downy. Sepals 5, leathery, downy, triangular, pointed. 

 Petals 5, oblong, obtuse, 2-3 times longer than the sepals, rather 

 downy. Glands small. Stamens 5, about half the length of the petals. 

 Ovary pilose ; ovules numerous, pendulous from the upper ends of 3-5 

 parietal placentas ; style cylindrical, as long as or longer than the 

 stamens, dividing into 5 recurved stigmatic branches. 



Upper Guinea. Corisco Island, lat. 1° N., Mann! 



2. H. africanum, Benth. in Journ. Linn. Soc. iv. 35. A middle-sized 

 tree with smooth cylindrical branches, the younger shoots puberulous. 

 Leaves on very short stalks, coriaceous, glabrous, oblong, rather obtuse, 

 cordate or rounded at the base, undulate-crenate, serrate, 6-8 in. long. 



