Blepharis.] xcviii. acanthace^ (clarke). 00 



The Tropical African examples agree exactly with the type-plant of B. se/o^a, 

 Nees ; but this type is marked by T. Anderson, " J?. satureiifolia, var. linearifoUa, 

 T. Anders." 



10. B. fruticulosa, C. B. Clarke. A nearly glabrate, small, dense 

 shrub ; branches woody. Leaves h by J in., oblong, hard, whitish. 

 Bracteoles h by ~j^ in. long, lanceolate, mucronate, beautifully veined, 

 minutely hairy upwards. Two inmost calyx-segments like the 

 bracteoles ; otherwise as B. molluginifolia. 



irile I.and. British East Africa : Kikuyu ; Kidung Valley, 6000-7000 ft., 

 Scott-Elliot, 6612 ! 



11. B.ruwenzoriensis, C.i?.C^rA:e. Pubescent, prostrate ; leaves 

 ^ in. long, oblong. One-flowered branches (reduced spikes) solitary, 

 sessile; bract J in. long, oblong; bracteoles J in. long, linear. Posti- 

 cous calyx-segment J in. long; 2 inmost calyx-segments nearly i- in. 

 long, linear-lanceolate. Corolla 1 in. long, blue {Scott- Elliot). Anticous 

 filaments very broad. 



Nile Iiand. British East Africa: Ulu; Lanjora, 5000-6000 ft., Scott-Elliot, 

 6379! 



This may prove only a luxuriant mountain form of B. molluginifolia. It differs 

 mainly by the much larger corolla. 



12. B. pratensiSy S. Mom'e in Journ. Bot. 1877, 204. Shrub 

 6-15 ft. high, hairy, afterwards often glabrate. Leaves apparently in 

 whorls of 4, up to 2 J by J-f in., somewhat leathery, narrowed at both 

 ends, subsessile. One-flowered branches (reduced spikes) in loose 

 heads; lowest sterile bracts (and floral leaves) lanceolate, often few- 

 spined on the margin ; flower- bract proper broadly-obovate, suddenly 

 acuminate, mucronate (without spinous cilia at the tip),; bracteoles 

 § in. long, lanceolate, acuminate, mucronate, 1 -nerved, subentire, i.e. 

 without spines near the tip. Posticous calyx-segment | in. long and 

 upwards, lanceolate, mucronate, entire, minutely and closely hairy with- 

 out; 2 inmost calyx-segments about half as long, lanceolate. Corolla 

 exceeding 1 in. in length, blue. — Lindau in Engl. Pfl. Ost-Afr. C. 3G0. 



Ifflle Ziand. British East Africa: Mombasa, Wakefield! Lamu Island, Eilde- 

 hrandt, 1906 ! 



Mozamb. Dist. German East Africa: Massoga, Stuhlmann, 6060! 



The bracteoles are said by S. Moore to be 2-3-nerved. The discrepancy between 

 the descriptions of bracteoles here given and those of preceding authors is mainly one 

 of terms, the word ''bracteole" being restricted here to the 2 lateral "prophylla." 



13. B. Welwitschii, S. 3foore in Journ. Bot. 1880, 231. Sterile 

 bracts spinous on the margins ; flower-bract ovate, acuminate, spinous 

 on the margin. Corolla nearly 1| in. in length; otherwise as 

 B. pratensis. — Lindau in Engl. & Prantl, Pflanzenfam. iv. 3 B. 317; 

 Engl. Hochgebirgsfl. Trop. Afr. 390. 



Iiower Guinea. Angola : Huilla, Welwitsch, 5031 ! 



S. Moore says that this species is very close to B. pratensi.i, and it seems to differ 

 very little except in the more spinous sterile bracts and in the markeilly spinous 

 flower-bract. The young branches are more scabrous, the leaves 2 by ^ in. parallel- 

 sided, the flowers rather larger ; but these differences are small. 



