XCVIII. ACANTHACE-E (cLARKE). 



[PetcUidhcin, 



or ; bracteoles large, ovate or elliptic, concave, enclosing calyx, 

 ultimately more or less scarious and reticulately veined. 

 Species 18 in Africa and tlie Mascarene Islands ; 1 in India. 

 * PsEUDOBARLEKiA. Two anticous calyx-segments con- 

 nate more than ^- their length. 

 Innovations tomentose with stellate white hairs. (See 

 also 15. P. canescens). 

 Inflorescence lax or flowers solitary. 



Inflorescenceswithout sterile branches interpersed. 

 Leaves obvate-oblong, obtuse. 



liracteoles ^ in. long, or more . . . 1. P. latifolium. 



Bracteoles less than ^ in 2. P. englerianum. 



Leaves (up to 2 in. long) with acute triangular 



tip . . . . . . . 3. P. physaloides. 



Spikes loose, several-flowered, interspersed with 



sterile branches 2-3 in. long . . • 4. P. Welwitschii. 



Inflorescences very dense, near the base of the stem. 

 Leaves round ; hairs stellate . . . . 5. P. halimoides. 



Leaves oblong ; hairs dendroid . . . . 6. P. lanatum. 



Innovations with simple sometimes gland-tipped (not 

 stellate white) hairs. 

 Inflorescence lax or flowers solitary (See also 15. 

 P. canesceiis). 

 Inflorescences without sterile branches inter- 

 spersed. 



cymes small ; plant white 



Leaves {| in. long ; 



strigose ...... 



Leaves 1 in. long ; flowers 3-1 together ; hairs 

 gland-tipped ..... 



Leaves 3 in. long, glandular pubescent ; flowers 



5-1 together 



Inflorescence with sterile branches interspersed. 

 Spines representing sterile branches, | in. long. 

 Corolla-tube f in. long .... 



Corolla-tube \-\ m. long .. 

 Sterile branches ^\ in. long, hardly spinous 

 (See also 14. P. variahile). 

 Leaves \ in. long ; inflorescences usually near 

 the base of the stem .... 



Leaves 1^ in. long; inflorescences in upper 

 part of the stem .... 



Inflorescences dense, many-flowered. 



Whole plant densely and minutely (yellow or 

 dusky) hairy ...... 



Innovations densely white strigose (no stellate 

 hairs) ....... 



Whole plant with innovations (except inflores- 

 cences) glabrous ...... 



** Ef - Petalidium. Two anticous calyx-segments 

 connate less than \ their length ; corolla fine red ; 

 tube 1 in. long or more .... 



7. P. ovatum. 



8. P. glandulosum. 



9. P. Currori. 



10. P. spiniferum. 



11. P. huillense. 



12. P. riipestre. 



13. P. glutinosiim. 



14. P. variahile. 



15. P. canescens. 



16. P. Lepidagathis. 



17. P. coccineum. 



1 . P. latifolium, C. B. Clarke. Low shrub, covered densely with 

 white stellate hairs which disappear from the older parts. Leaves up 



