Spertnacoce.] Lxx. RUBiACEiE (hiern). 239 



Kile Xiand. At Ukidi, Speke et Grant! {Mitracarpum, sp. n. 1, Thorns, in 

 Speke, Journ. App. p. 636 ; Spermacoce hebecarpa?, Oliv. in Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 

 xxix. p. 89); Djur-land, ('Spermacoce ampliata.') Sckwein/urth ! 



XiOwer Guinea. Congo, Chr. Smith .' 



Occurs also at Delagoa Bay and Madagascar. 



14. S. dlbraohlata, Oliv. in Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. xxiz. p. 87, 

 t. 52. A rigid branched or subsimple annual herb, 9-18 in. high. 

 Stem and branches hispid with white hairs. Leaves lanceolate, sub- 

 acute, somewhat narrowed at the sessile base, rigid, rugose above, 

 scabrous on the midrib and re volute margin beneath, 2-3 by ^-^ in., 

 lateral veins inconspicuous ; stipules with long hispidulous sheath and 

 about 3 set89 about the same length. Upper internodes usually long. 

 Flowers ^-| in. long, very numerous, densely packed in ^terminal and 

 subterminal sessile heads, based by the dilated stipules of the upper- 

 most leaves ; bracteoles filiform, very numerous. Calyx-teeth 4, nar- 

 rowly subijilate, subequal, longer than the glabrous ovary, turning 

 rigid. Corolla sky-blue or purple, salver-shaped ; tube slender, 

 glabrous except the tips ©f the lobes, exceeding the calyx-teeth. An- 

 thers exserted, white. Stigma subcapitate, bilobed, exserted. Fruit 

 dehiscing as in the type of the genus. — Spermacoce^ sp. n. 2, T. Thorns, 

 in Speke, Journ., App. p. 636. 



wile Xiand. Karagu6, alt. 6000 ft. Speke ^ Grant ! 



Mozamb. Olstr. Manganja hills, alt. 3000 ft. Kirk! Meller ! Zambesi-land, 

 Stewart ! 



15. S. KiOtschyana, Oliv. in Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. xxix. p. 88, 

 t. 53. Erect, not much branched, ^1^ feet high. Stem glabrous, 

 subterete below, somewhat scabrous on the 4 angles above. Leaves 

 linear, acute, sessile, scabrous above, somewhat hispid beneath, 1^-3 in. 

 long, the floral ones dilated at the base into the hairy stipular sheath 

 which is tipped with about 5-7 longer setas. Flowers small, numerous, 

 crowded in dense verticillate terminal and axillary leafy and brac- 

 teate heads of 1 in. diam. ; bracteoles linear-filiform, very numerous, 

 pale reddish, exceeding the calyx-teeth. Calyx-teeth 4-3, subequal, 

 subulate, ciliate with paleaceous hairs, as long as the ovary, rather 

 shorter than the fruit. Corolla-tube about equalling the calyx-lobes ; 

 lobes 4-3, short. Fruit pubescent towards the apex. — Spermacoce, sp. 

 n. 3, Thoms, in Speke, Journ., App. p. 636. 



xrile ]band. Madi, in low grounds near water, Speke 4' Grant! Sennaar, 

 Kotschy ! 



16. S. compacta, Hochst. in Hh. Kotsch. Nuh. n. 240 (1841). A 

 glabrous, erect, simple or branched annual, 8-16 in. high. Stem 

 marked with narrow raised lines. Leaves linear or narrowly oval, 

 narrowed at both ends, 1-2 in. long, somewhat scabrous on the mar- 

 gins ; the floral leaves dilated at the base into the glabrous or puberu- 

 lous sheath of the stipules which are tipped with about 5 rather longer 

 setae. Flowers small, numerous, densely crowded in verticillate leafy 

 sessile terminal and axillary heads of ^-^ in. diam. ; bracteoles very 

 numerous, paleaceous-filiform, exceeding the calyx-teeth. Calyx-teeth 



