Harteria.] lxiii. passiflorejE (masters.). 511 



sisting of 2-4 flowers, each of which is invested by a series of over- 

 lapping coriaceous chestnut-coloured acute or cuspidate bracts. Flower- 

 tube very short, glabrous. Sepals 5, somewhat coriaceous, oblong- 

 lanceolate or obtuse, downy and golden brown on the outer side, smooth 

 and whitish within. Petals oblong, wider than the sepals and about 

 equal to them in length, white. Stamens hypogvnous or slightly 

 perigynous ; filaments slender. Ovary smooth ; style simple, as long 

 as the filaments and terminated by a large conical or cushion-shaped 

 stigma. Fruit ovoid, about the size of a pigeon's eo;g, coriaceous, red- 

 dish, 1 -celled, with numerous compressed pitted seeds attached to 

 parietal placentas. 



Upper Guinea. Nun river, Niger, Barter! Gaboon, Mann! Bonny river, 

 Mann! Old Calabar, Thomson! 



2. B. fistulosa, Mast. A small tree with angular, smooth or len- 

 ticellate, fistular branches. Leaves leathery, 10-12 in. long, 3-4 in. 

 wide, oblong, obtuse, glabrous, 1 -nerved, somewhat narrower at the base 

 which is decurrent along the branch. Stipules 0. Flowers sessile, in 

 linear clusters emerging from the stem between it and the decurrent 

 edges of the leaf, each encircled at the base by numerous overlapping 

 leathery shining chestnut-coloured oblong obtuse or boat-shaped bracts 

 increasing in size from below upwards. Flowers smaller than those of 

 B. nigritiana. Sepals and petals downy on the outside, lanceolate, 

 wavy at the margins. Corona and inner organs of the flower as in the 

 last-named species but smaller. Anthers apiculate 



Upper Guinea. Fernando Po, Mann! 



The so-called decurrent leaves would probably be more correctly described as con- 

 genially aduate to tbe branch for some distance. The manner in which the flowers 

 emerge from between the sides of the base of the leaf and the stem is very curious. 



6. CROSSOSTEMMA, Planch. ; Benth. et Hook. f. 

 Gen. Plant, i. 813. 



Flowers dichlamydeous, hermaphrodite. Flower-tube very short, 

 saucer-shaped, bearing at the top 5 ovate calyx-lobes each traversed 

 by a single nerve. Petals 5, springing from the mouth of the flower- 

 tube, of the same form and size as the calyx-lobes but 3-5 nerved. 

 Corona of one row of filaments emerging immediately within the petals. 

 Gynophore short, dilated above into a cup-shaped body ^hich latter 

 bears 5 stamens alternating with an equal number of short triangular 

 acute erect teeth ; filaments short, anthers linear oblong. Ovary ses- 

 sile in the cup of the gynophore, oblong, triquetrous, tapering above 

 into a short style surmounted by a large entire stigma, one-celled with 

 three parietal placentas ; ovules numerous in two rows on each placenta. 

 Fruit . . . ? — A climbing tendril-bearing shrub with stalked leaves 

 and axillary flowers. 



The above description is taken from that of Planchon. 



1. C. laurifolium, Planch, in Hoon. Fl. Nigrit. 365. A climbing 

 shrub, glabrous throughout. Leaves subcoriaceous, slightly glossy, 



