216 cxviii. THYMEL^ACE^ (pearson). [Struthiola. 



very densely clothed with silvery hairs. Leaves crowded in the upper 

 part of the stem, sessile, ovate, coriaceous, with a hard very acute apex, 

 silvery-ciliate on the margin, otherwise glabrous, 2-o lin. long, 1 lin. 

 broad. Flowers white, much longer than the leaves. Bracteoles 2, 

 ovate, 1 lin. long. Calyx-tube very slender; lobes ovate-lanceolate, 

 very acute, quite glabrous, about J as long as the tube. Petals very 

 small, divided to the base; segments thick. — Gilg in Engl. Jahrb. 

 xxiii. 203. 



Mozamb. Blstr. German East Africa : Uluguru Mountains at Lukwangula, 

 Stuhbnann, 9157. 



2. GNIDIA, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. iii. 197. 



Flowers hermaphrodite. Perianth-tube cylindric, sometimes square 

 in section, articulated, and at length breaking across above the level of 

 the ovary ; lobes 4. Petals alternating with the calyx-lobes, entire or 

 more or less deeply divided, or obscure. Stamens 8, in two whorls in the 

 throat of the calyx- tube, the upper, or all, shortly exserted ; tilaments 

 very short ; anthers oblong or linear. Hypogynous disc or in the 

 form of a minute ring. Ovary sessile, 1 -celled ; style filiform ; stigma 

 capitate. Fruit small, dry, enclosed in the persistent base of the calyx- 

 tube ; pericarp membranous. Testa of the seed brittle ; endosperm 

 usually scanty or 0, rarely abundant and fleshy ; cotyledons stout. — 

 Branched virgate or ericoid shrubs. Leaves usually small and narrow, 

 opposite or scattered. Flowers white, yellow, crimson or violet, usually 

 in terminal (rarely axillary) involucrate or naked heads, rarely solitary 

 in the leaf-axils. 



Species about 90, all in Tropical and South Africa. 



•Calyx-tube entirely glabrous. 



Involucral bracts acute ; calyx-tube 5 lin. long . 1. G. leiantha. 

 Involiicrid bracts rounded; calyx-lube not more 



than 4 lin. long . . . . . . 2. (?. macrorrhiza. 



**Cal>x-tiibe glabrous below the articulation. 



Calyx-tube glabrescent or puberulous above the 

 articulation. 

 Unbranched or little branched shrubs 6-12 in. 

 high. 

 Stems simple . . . . . . Z. O. Mittuorum. 



Stems branclied. 



Leaves and bracts obtuse or subacute . 4. O. huillensis. 



Leaves and bracts strongly acute. . . b. O. Thomsoni. 



Little-branched shrub, 1-3 ft. ; flowers vermilion 



or scarlet . . . . . . Q. Q. Welwitachii. 



Tall, much-branched shrubs; flowers orange or 

 pink. 

 Flowering branches long, weak, and nodding . 7. O. Schweinfurthii 

 Flowering bram^hes erect or buberect . . 8. -G. Buchananii. 



Calyx-tube pubescent or villous above the articula- 

 tion. 

 Bracts green, herbaceous . , . . 9. G. mollis. 



