Loranthus.} cxix. loranthace^ (sprague). 277 



Atozamb. Blstr. German East Africa : Moschi District; south-east of Simun- 

 gori Mountain, ZJhlig, 400 ! Wilhelmstal District ; Pare Mountains, Uhlig, 861 { 

 Usiinibara; Nyika Country, JSolst, 2406 1 Taiiga District; Amboni, Hoist, 2820! 

 2820a ! Muhesa, Busse, 2152 ! Pangani, Stuhlmann, 88 ! Bagamoyo, parasitic on 

 various trees, Mildebrandt, 1274 ! Stuhlmann, 7265 ! Kirigani River, Hildehrandt, 

 1141 ! Dar-es-Salam, Kirk, 47 ! Holtz, 348 ! Stuhlmann, 131 ! 7321 ! 7480 ! 7829 I 

 7831 ! Usaramo; Mengwa, Stuhlmann, 8616 ! Lindi District ; Ruaha-Mtua, Braun, 

 1255 ! Rovumu Bay, Kirk ! 



A widely spread ami polymorphic species. Engler (in Engl. Jahrb. xx. 129) 

 distinguishes the following varieties : var. ciliafus, characterised l)y ovate leaves and 

 ciliate petals ; and var, popiilifolius, with broadly ovate or suborbicular leaves, cor- 

 date at the base. A careful study of the very rich n!aterial of Loranihus Kirkii 

 preserved in the Berlin Herbarium has resulted, however, in my being unable to 

 recognise any distinct varieties, those established by Engler being connected with one 

 another and the type by numerous transitional forms. The anttier is most fre- 

 quently 2-3 times as long as the filament: in Uhlig, 861, it is 4-5 times as long as 

 the filament ; and in Stuhlmann, 131, it is equal to or slightly shorter than the 

 filament. The size of the flowers and the shape of the leaves also vary greatly. 



A specimen which may prove to be a distinct variety or species when flowers are 

 known was collected by Welwitsch (4871) in Bumbo, Angola, in the heart of the 

 Chella mountains, parasitic on ComhretacecB. It has blackish-purple berries. 



9. L. huillensis^ Engl, in Engl. Jahrh. xl. 539. Branchlets greenisli , 

 striate, glabrous, about IJ lin. in diam. 1 ft. below the apex, internodes 

 about 2 in. long. Leaves opposite, pale green in a dried state, ovate- 

 oblong or elliptic, obtuse or rounded at the apex, rounded at the base, 

 JJ-2J in. long, l-lj in. broad, coriaceous, glabrous; lateral nerves 3-5 

 on each side, arcuate-ascending, raised on both surfaces ; petiole 3J-4 

 lin. long. Raceme terminal, 5-6 in. long ; pedicels l|-lf lin, long, 

 pale green ; bract almost semicircular, very concave, finely ciliate, 

 hardly | lin. long, 1 lin. broad. Receptacle campanulate, 1^ lin. long. 

 Calyx nearly obsolete. Corolla in bud subacute, acutely quadrangular, 

 oblong-linear from an ovoid base, 6|^ lin. long; petals reflexed above the 

 insertion of the stamens, lower part broadly ovate-oblong, IJ lin. long, 

 lj-l| lin.bj-oad, not plicate within, upper part lanceolate-linear, acute, 

 G Jin. long, | lin. broad. Stamens arising from a small fieshy flap at the 

 apex of the lower part of the petals ; filaments Ij-l^ lin. long ; anthers 

 linear, o\ lin. long. Disc \-\ lin. high. Style nearly 3 lin. long. 



Ijower Guinea. Angola : Benguella ; Huilla, Antunes, 267 ! 



10. L. periclymenoides,^'72^Z. (b Krause in Engl. Jahrb. xliii, 400. 

 Xoung branchlets terete, smooth, dirty orange-yellow, glabrous, very 

 slightly glossy, the uppermost internodes 1-1 J lin. in diam. at the 

 .middle, older branches \-\ in. in diam., bark dark grey, longitudinally 

 cracked ; nodes much swollen, internodes 1-5 in. long. Leaves opposite, 

 sessile, ovate oblong or elliptic-oblong, rounded at apex and base, 3J-6 

 in. long, 1 J-3J in. broad, rigidly coriaceous, glabrous, upper surface 

 slightly glossy, lower surface dull ; lateral nerves rather oblique, 4-5 on 

 each side of the midrib, slightly raised on the upper surface, hardly 



