188 cxvi. LAURiNE^ (stapf). [Cassijtka, 



5. CASSYTHA, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. iii. 1G4. 

 Flowers hermaphrodite, sometimes dimorphic (dicecious ? ). Perianth 

 with a turbinate or ovoid receptacle (very small during flowering) and a 

 G-partite limb, after flowering tightly constricted at the junction of limb 

 and tube ; segments unequal, outer 3 much smaller. Stamens in 4 

 whorls of 3, of the o outer fertile, of the fourth staminodial, rarely also 

 those of the second whorl reduced tostaminodes ; anthers 2-celled, of the 

 2 outer v/horls introrse, of the third extrorse ; filaments of the third 

 whorl with subsessile glands at each side of the base ; staminodes sub- 

 sessile or stipitate. Ovary during flowering hardly immersed in the 

 receptacle, which afterwards grows out and envelops it. Fruit completely 

 enclosed in the succulent receptacle, often crowned by the persistent 

 limb. Seed with a coriaceous testa. Cotyledons tightly adpressed to each 

 other, distinct only when young. — Twining, parasitic herbs, adhering to 

 their hosts by means of uniseriate haustoria. Leaves reduced to minute 

 scales. Flowers small, racemose, spicate or capitate, sessile or pedicelled 

 from the axils of scale-like bracts, supported by a pair of bracteoles. 



Species about 15, mostly Australian, the following widely spread througliout tlie 

 tropics. 



1. C. filiformis, Linn. Sj). PL ed. i. 35. Stems filiform, bright 

 yellow, glabrous or more or less pubescent to tomentose. Leaf-scales ovate 

 to lanceolate-subulate, acute. Inflorescences loosely spicate, usually soli- 

 tary, spreading, 1-2 in. long, few- to 10-flowered. Flowers hermaphrodite, 

 white, up to about 1 lin, long ; bracteoles ciliolate. Outer perianth- 

 segments very similar to the bracteoles, inner broadly ovate-oblong, 

 obtuse, 3 times longer. Filaments of the first whorl broader than the 

 anther, thinly membranous, of the second narrower than the anther. 

 Staminodes triangular, fleshy. Fruit crowned with the persistent limb, 

 2-3 lin. in diam. — Meisn. in DC. Prodr. xv. i. 255 ; Engl. Pfl. Ost-Afr. 

 C. 182 ; Hiern in Cat. Afr. PI. Welw. i. 1)15 ; Engl, ex Gilg in Baum, 

 Xunene-Samb. Exped. 238 ; De Wild, in Ann. Mus. Congo, ser. v. i. 244. 

 C. guineetisis, Meisn. I.e. (including var. Livinyslonii). C. americana^ 

 Meisn. I.e. 256. Cassyta yidneensis, Schum. Sc Thonn. Beskr. Guin. PI. 

 109 ; Benth. in Hook. Niger Fl. 497. C.aniericana,^ees, Syst. Laur. G44. 



Upper Guinea. Sencganibia : without precise locality, i?o^er .' Sierra Leone, 

 Scott-Elliot, A\11 ! 5875 ! Freetown, Johnston, 71 ! Gold Coast : Aburi, Johnson, 

 970! Togoland : Lome, TFarnec^e, u3 ! Lagos, Datoor/?^, 33 ! 154 I Southern Nigeria: 

 month of the Xiger, jlfa»«, 464! Northern Nigeria: ^w^e. Barter, 412 1 Adda- 

 suduh, Vorjel ! 



WTile Iiand. Somaliland, Lort Phillips ! Uganda : Buddu, 3900 ft., Baire, 302 ! 



Iiower Guinea. ILonw^o, Soyaiix, ^2\ Angola: Pungo Andongo, Wehvitsch, 

 6427 ! 6428 ! Bengnela, Welwitsch, 6424 ! Monteiro ! Mossaniedes, Welnifsch, 

 6425 ! Gossweiler, 30 ! Chijija, by theLonga River, Batim^ 626 ! 



Mozamb. Bist. Zanzibar, Hildehrandt^ 1030 ! German East Africa : Tanga, 

 Volkens, 170 ! Tanganyika shore, Scott-Elliot, 8235 ! Mozambique : Island of 

 Chingune, Johnson, 6o ! Mouth of 2^mbesi, Kirk I Nyasaland : banks of Luabo 

 river, Kirk^ 24! 51! Muata Munja, Kirk! Shire Highlands, Buchanan, 367 1 

 Namasi, Cameron! Nyika Plateau, McClounie, \12\ Island of lAkoino., Johnson^ 

 33 I west shore of Lake Nyasa, Kirk ! 



