Sphmranthus.'] Lxxni. composite! (Oliver and hiern). 335 



7. S. nubicus, Sch. Bip. ex Steetz in Peters Mossamh. Bot. p. 418. 

 Annual, erect, little branched, or diffuse with numerous ascending 

 branches, more or leas glandular-hirtellous, about 1-2^ ft. high ; stem 

 and lower branches terete, faintly striate, upper branches alate. Leaves 

 narrowly lanceolate or linear, acute or subacute, mucronate, denticulate, 

 sessile, decurrent, membranous, 1-3 in. long by yo— f in. wide. Capi- 

 tula 3-9 (usually 4-) flowered, of which 1 fl. (central) only is male, 

 crowded many together in subhemispherical subsessile or shortly pe- 

 dunculate heads ^-^ in. diam., terminating the stem and branches. 

 Scales of partial involucre 3-5, scarious, linear- oblong, obtuse, apiculate, 

 ciliate at apex, otherwise glabrous. Outer axial scales nearly equalling 

 the head, closely appressed, broadly ovate, apiculate, pubescent. Com- 

 mon receptacle slightly convex. Corolla with scattered sessile glands. 

 Achenes thinly nairy. — Sprunnera alata, Schultz Bip. in Kotschy Iter 

 Nub. n. 209. Oligolepis Sprunnera^ Steetz in Peters Mossamb. Bot. p. 

 418. 



irortb Central. Lake Tschad, Kouka, E. Vogel ! 

 Xrile land. Cordofan, Kotschy! 



32. BLEPHARISPERMUM, Wight ; Benth. et Hook. f. 

 Gen. PI. ii. 295. 



Capitula heterogamous, discoid, few-flowered, collected in globose 

 heads ; onterraost florets pistillate, 2 (or few), inner ^ usually 4 (in 

 African sp.), fertile or sterile, each floret subtended by a scale equalling 

 or exceeding it in length, the capitulum subtended by an axial scale. 

 Corolla of $ fl. narrowly tubular, of ^ floret slightly wider upwards, 

 5-toothed. Anther-base tailed, tails cohering in pairs. Style papillose, 

 apex minutely bifid. Achene of $ fl. broadly alate with coriaceous 

 wings, concave, somewhat keeled, apex bifid ; pappus of 3-4 stout bar- 

 bellate setae. — Shrubs or nndershrubs. Leaves alternate, ovate or 

 lanceolate. Heads of capitula terminal, globose, ^-l-g in. diam. 



A genus of four species, of which two are Indian. The following two species are 

 endemic, and one of them is exceptional in its apparently scandent habit and spinuse 

 armature. 



Male florets 4 in each head. Branches spinulose, ... 1. B. spimdosum. 



Male florets 2 only in each head. Branches unarmed . . 2. B. zangttebaricum. 



1. B. spinulosum, 0. Sf H. Apparently a scandent shrub; bran- 

 ches slender terete glabrate striate, armed with short deflexed acute 

 spines, y^o-J in. long, from the pulvinus immediately under each leaf. 

 Leaves (imperfect) ovate, rounded at base, midrib puberulous beneath, 

 about 1^2 in. long ; petiole \ in. Heads globose, singly terminating 

 the branches, f-j in. diam. Capitula usually of 6 decussating squama? 

 each subtending a single floret ; two outer squama) obovate concave 

 apiculate, subtending ? fls., 2 intermediate cymbiform. Achene ob- 

 cordate or obovate, emarginate, ciliate above. 



Iiower Guinea. Congo, Ckr. Smith.' 



The remarkable infra-petiolar spine is represented by a gibbosity in the following 

 species as well as iu the Indian allv, JJ. pctiolare, DC. 



