I 



Bridelia.] cxxii. euphorbiace^ (hutchinson). 613 



cordate at the base, 1J-4J in. long, 1J-3J in. broad, coriaceous, 

 shortly and rather densely pubescent above, densely pubescent below ; 

 lateral nerves 9-12 on each side, branched towards the margin but 

 finally reaching it and forming a marginal nerve, slightly prominent on 

 the lower surface ; tertiary nerves close, slightly prominent below ; 

 veinlets not or scarcely prominent below ; petiole 2-2J lin. long, densely 

 pubescent; stipules lanceolate or subulate-lanceolate, 2-3 lin. lon^, 1 lin. 

 broad, densely pubescent. Male flowers subsessile or shortly pedicellate : 

 Sepals ovate-triangular, 1 J lin. long, 1 lin. broad, densely pubescent out- 

 side. Petals broadly obovate, slightly toothed in the upper half, 1 lin. 

 long, I lin. broad, glabrous. Disk broad and flat, glabrous. Staminal 

 column I lin. long ; free part of the filaments ^ lin. long, very slender 

 towards the apex ; anthers f lin. long, glabrous. Rudimentary ovary 

 J lin. long, much swollen at the base, glabrous. Female flowers 

 very shortly [pedicellate : Sepals ovate-lanceolate, IJ lin. long, rusty- 

 pubescent. Petals oblong-lanceolate, f the length of the sepals. 

 Disk cupular, lobed, glabrous on both sides. Ovary glabrous. Fruit 

 2-celled, transversely ellipsoid or subglobose, about 4 lin. in diam. — 

 B. stipularis, MUll. Arg. in DC. Prodr. xv. ii. 499, partly (as to Kirk's 

 and Burke's specimens), not of Blume. 



IWEozamb. Dlstr. British Central Africa: Rhodesia; Victoria, J/owro, 681 ! 

 790 ! Portuguese East Africa : Boruina, Memjharth, 858 ! Tete, Kirk I 



Occurs also in the Transvaal. 



2. B. taitensis. Pax d- Vatke in Engl. Jahrh. xv. r)31. A dense 

 shrub ; branches longitudinally sulcate, with a greyish-brown bark, glab- 

 rescent ; young branchlets slender, rusty-puberulous. Leaves obovate 

 or broadly elliptic, rounded or very shortly and obtusely pointed, slightly 

 cuneate at the base, 1^-2 J in. long, f-lj in. broad, thinly chartaceous, 

 slightly pubescent on the upper surface, a little more densely so below ; 

 lateral nerves 8-11 on each side, slender, often a little branched towards 

 but finally reaching the margin and forming a faint marginal nerve ; 

 tertiary nerves parallel, distinct below ; veins rather close but not 

 prominent below ; petiole rather stout, wrinkled, 2 lin. long, shortly 

 pubescent or tomentellous ; stipules linear-lanceolate, acute, 2-2i- lin. 

 long, pubescent. Flowers dioecious. Male bracts ovate, subacute, 

 strongly keeled on the back, keel pubescent. Sepals lanceolate, obtuse, 

 1 lin. long, slightly pubescent on the outside towards the base. Petals 

 very broadly obovate or rhomboid, subentire. Disk fleshy, glabrous. 

 Rudimentary ovary short and columnar, subentire, glabrous. Female 

 flowers: Sepals ovate, 1 lin. long, J lin. broad, slightly coriaceous, 

 sparingly puberulous outside.. Petals rhomboid, keeled on the hack, 

 nearly as large as the sepals. Disk thin, toothed, glabrous outside. 

 Ovary oblong-ellipsoid, contracted at the base, glabrous. Fiuits 2-celled, 

 ellipsoid-globose, about 3 lin. in diam., black and shining when dry. 

 —Pax in Engl. Pfl. Ost-Afr. C. 237 ; Gehrm. in Engl. Jahrb. xli. Heibl. 

 95, 32. B. nigricans^ Gehrm. I.e. 35. 



Wile Iiand. British East Africa: Taita Hills, HihlehrcnnlL 2U5! (irenfell ! 

 \i\\i\\<i\i\, Scheffl€};\00\ 131! 



