Struthiola.] cxviii. thymel^ace^ (pearson). 213 



Petals present. 



Flowers 4-inerous 2. Gnidia. 



Flowers 5-inerou8 . . . . .3. Lasiosiphon. 



Petals 0. 



Flowers 4-merous . . . . .4. Aethbosolen. 



Flowers 5-merous . . . . .3. Lasiosiphon. 

 Flowers in ebracteate terminal fjiscicles. Petals -I- 



as long a^tlie calyx-lobes . . . .5, Englerodaphne. 



Flowers axillary. Petals equalling or exceeding 



the calvx-lobes. Disc cup-shaped . . .6. DiCRANOLEPis. 



Flowers axillary. Petals fused to form a short 

 continuous ring in the mouth of the calyx-tube. 



Disc small 7. Stnaptolepis. 



Stamens twice as many as the calyx-lobes, inserted 

 below the middle of the calyx-tube. Flowers in 

 axillary clusters 8. CsATEROSlPHON. 



Tribe II. Pbalerleae. Ovary 2-celled ; ovule solitary. Drupe 

 of 2 or, hy abortion^ 1 pyrene. 

 Flowers pedicelled ; petals . . . .9. Peddiea. 



Tribe III. Octolepidoldeae. Ovary 4:-celled. Fruit a capsule. 



10. Octolepis. 



1. STRUTHIOLA, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. iii. 196. 



Flowers hermaphrodite, 4-merous. Calyx-tube slender, cylindric, 

 dilated at the top, articulated below the top of the ovary and breaking 

 at the articulation at the end of flowering. Petals entire or divided to 

 the base into 2 or 3 narrow segments, erect, fleshy, each segment sur- 

 rounded by a crown of stifi" erect hairs arising from the base. Stamens 

 4, inserted in 1 whorl in the upper part of the calyx-tube, almost ses- 

 sile and not exserted, alternating with the calyx-lobes ; anthers linear. 

 Ovary sessile ; disc absent or very inconspicuous ; style very slender, 

 arising laterally ; stigma capitate. Fruit small, dry, surrounded by 

 the persistent base of the calyx-tube. Seed somewhat compressed, with 

 hard smooth testa ; endosperm scanty ; embryo with thick cotyledons. 

 — Shrubs or undershrubs of ericoid habit with, usually, long virgate 

 branches. Leaves alternate, opposite or whorled, small, leathery, 

 narrow. Flowers white, red or yellow, solitary or rarely two together 

 in the leaf-axils, sessile, with 2 linear bracteoles at the base. 



Species numerous, all African, mostly south of the tropic. The 8 I'ropical African 

 species all belong to Gilg's section ii., BiLOB^ (Grily in Engl. Sf Frantl, PJlanzenfam. 

 iii. 6A, 229), the character of which is that the petals are divided to the base. 



Adult leaves lanceolate, linear- or ovate- lanceolate, 

 not less than ^ in. long. 

 Calyx-tube shorter than the leaves. 



Leaves pinoid . . . . . . \. S. ericina. 



Leaves riat. 



Calyx-tube puberulous or glabrescent . , 2. S. Stuhlmannii. 



Calyx-tube perfectly glabrous. 



Adult leaves quite glabrous . . . 3. S. usamharensis. 



