584 LXVII. FIC0IDE-2B (OLIVER). [AlZOOtl. 



Valves of fruit free 2. A. Mossamedense. 



Branches long flexuose virgate, silky. Flowers hi contracted 

 axillary cymes 3. A. virgatum. 



1. A. canariense, Linn. ; DC. Prod. iii. 453. A diffuse or prostrate 

 herb, branches often widely spreading*, woody towards the crown, more 

 or less uniformly cellular-pilose tomentose or papillose. Leaves ob- 

 ovate or elliptical narrowed into the petiole to spathulate obtuse, with 

 the petiole J-2 in. (-3 in.) long-. Flowers sessile in almost every fork 

 or axil. Calyx-lobes ovate, acute, imbricate in aestivation. Fruit pen- 

 tagonal- stelliform, |— J in., valves inflexed, the apex attached to the 

 column. 



Nile Land. Nubia, Abyssinia, Arkiko, Ehrenberg. Dissee island, Red Sea, 

 Courbon. Red Sea, 11-12° N. lat., Lord! 

 Extending from the Canaries eastward to Scinde ; occurs also at the Cape. 



2. A. Mossamedense, Welw. mss. Dichotomously branched, dif- 

 fuse or erect, annual herb ; stem in larger specimens, nearly as thick as 

 a goose-quill, papillose-pubescent, from a few inches to 1 ft. or more. 

 Leaves from oval to broadly elliptical, obtuse, distinctly petiolate, fleshy, 

 cellular-papillose, J-1-1J in. long, -^-\ in. broad, petiole shorter 

 than or sometimes nearly equalling the lamina. Flowers sessile, soli- 

 tary in the forks, bright yellow, \ in. broad. Calyx-lobes ovate or 

 ovate-lanceolate. Capsule 5-valved, valves free from the erect central 

 column, recurved when wetted, the shining endocarp of each valve 

 splitting longitudinally and easily separable. Seeds reniform, longi- 

 tudinally ridged, ridges with very minute cross-strise, as in A. cana- 

 riense. 



Lower Guinea. Mossamedes, Dr. Welwitsch! 

 Not identified with any described species. 



3. A. virgatum, Welw. mss. Slender, shrubby, 2-3 ft. high with 

 elongate, virgate or subsarmentose, silky-tomentose branches. Leaves 

 alternate, oblanceolate or narrow-obovate, minutely apiculate, gradually 

 narrowed into the petiole, entire, silky and at first silvery, with petiole 

 1-2 in. long, J to over \ in. broad. Flowers \ in. diameter in much- 

 contracted often many-flowered bracteate cymes from every axil, usually 

 but little exceeding the petiole. Perianth silky-tomentose, lobes lan- 

 ceolate or ovate-lanceolate acuminate, glabrous within. Stamens 

 50-60. Ovary 5-4-celled ; styles radiate. 'Capsule obpyramidal, 5-4- 

 valved, cells 1-2-seeded; seeds pendulous from the apex of the 

 thickened central axis, estrophiolate but \ girt by the funicle. (Ovary 

 and capsule, Dr. Welwitsch.) 



Lower Guinea. Mossamedes, Angola, Dr. Welwitsch I 

 Not recognised from elsewhere. 



4. GALENIA, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant, i. 854. 



Calyx 4-5-fid. Petals 0. Stamens normally twice as many as 

 calyx-lobes, inserted in pairs alternate with the lobes. Ovary free, 



