240 xcviii. ACANTHACE^ (clarke). [Jlegalochlami/s. 



51. MEGALOCHIiAMYS, Lindau in Engl. Jahrb. xxvi. 345. 



Sepals 5, nearly distinct, small, subequal, linear or linear-lanceo- 

 late. Corolla 2-lipped ; tube linear-cylindric, rather shorter than 

 the lobes; anticous lip 3-fid; posticous lip ovate-oblong, subentire. 

 Stamens 2 ; anthers long-exserted, 2-celled, muticous ; cells linear- 

 oblong nearly at equal height ; pollen ellipsoid, smooth, with 

 two stopples. Pistil glabrous; ovules 2 in each cell; style very 

 shortly and equally 2-lobed at the tip. Capsule stalked, ovoid, 

 much flattened, usually 2-seeded ; placentae not rising elastically 

 from the base of the capsule-valves ; seeds rather large, much com- 

 pressed, glabrous, somewhat tubercular-scabrous. — Shrubs. Leaves 

 entire. Inflorescences terminal and axillary ; floral leaves imbricated, 

 with (commonly) 3 flowers in the axil of 1 or 2 of the upper ; bracts 

 and bracteoles 'or only represented by bristles hardly ~ in. long. 



Species 3, endemic. 



Engler & Schinz referred these plants to DicHptera, which is untenable, as the 

 placentae do not rise elastically from the capsule valves ; the inflorescence, moreover, 

 is totally different, being that of Phaylopsis. The genus differs from Scholium, sect. 

 Choananthus, mainly in the inflorescence. 



Glabrous, or nearly so. 



Leaves ovate, ^ in. wide . , . . . 1. P. Marlothii. 



Leaves oblong, \ in. wide . . . . . 3, P. Unifolia. 



Plant hairy all over . . . . . . 2. P. strobilifera. 



1. M. Marlothiiy Lindau in Engl. Jahrh. xxvi. 345. Glabrous, 

 except the calyx. Leaves 1 J by J in., tip triangular, base obtuse ; 

 petiole 0-^ in. long. Inflorescences J-1 in. in diam., nearly enclosed 

 by the two lowest floral leaves, which are f by f in., ovate, acute, 

 with reflexed margins ; upper floral leaves ^ by J-J in. ; flowers 3-1 

 in the axil of the penultimate floral leaf (and sometimes of 1 or 2 

 adjacent). Calyx \-\ in. long, minutely pubescent. Corolla |-1 in. 

 in total length. Filaments glabrous. Capsule ^ in. long, upper 

 flattened part \ in. broad ; seeds discoid, tubercular-scabrous, not 

 hairy. — DicUptera Marlothii^ Engl, in Engl. Jahrb. x. 266. D. schu- 

 manniana, Schinz in Verhandl. Bot. Ver. Brandenb. xxxi. 204. 



Iioxver Guinea. Angola : Monhinos, Newton ! German South-west Africa : 

 Amboland ; Okasima-Ka-Namutenya, Schinz, 60 ! Oshando, Schinz, 100 ! Herero- 

 land, 3300 it.,Marloth, 1313! 



2. M. strobilifera, C. B. Clarke. Hairy all over. Leaves 2| by 

 -| in., tip subacute, base obtuse; petiole 0— J in. long. Inflorescences 

 Ij by I in. ; outermost floral leaves f by J in., obovate-elliptic, acumi- 

 nate ; upper gradually smaller, several containing 3-1 flowers in each 

 axil ; bracts and bracteoles 0. Corolla blue, with purple veins. Fila- 

 ments granular-scabrous ; pollen exactly as of P. Marlothii. 



BSozamb. Slst. Portuguese East Africa: Lower Zambesi; near TetCj Kirk! 

 There is no fruit of this species, but it is closely allied to the foregoing. The 



