Thecacoris.] cxxii. euphorbiace^ (hutchixson). 601 



acuminate, abruptly mucronate, cuneate at the base, 2J-5 in. lon^. 

 |-2J in. broad, membranous or very thinly chartaceous, quite glabrous 

 above, even when young, sparingly rusty-f.etulose on the midrib and 

 lateral nerves below ; lateral nerves 6-^' on each side, spreading, 

 distinctly looped and anastomosing far trom the recurved margin ; 

 veins somewhat lax and slender, slightly prominent below ; petiole 

 lJ-2 lin. long, pubescent ; stipules oblong-lanceolate, subacute, 1 lin. 

 long, densely rusty-pubescent, very early deciduous. Male racemes 

 axillary, solitary or in pairs, about IJ in. long ; axis densely rusty- 

 pubescent ; bracts broadly ovate, obtuse, J lin. long, J lin. broad, 

 densely rusty-pubescent outside ; pedicels very short, almost glabrous. 

 Sepals 5, ovate, obtuse, setulose-pubescent outside. Petals linear, tei ete^ 

 about half as long as the sepals, glabrous except for the filiform tip. Disk- 

 glands rounded, fleshy, pilose. Stamens 5 ; filaments glabrous. Rudi- 

 mt^ntary ovary short, obconic, flat on the top, glabrous or nearly so. 

 Young female inflorescences not seen. Fruiting racemes 2^-3 in. long ; 

 axis shortly pubescent ; bracts acute from an ovate base, J-| lin. long, 

 adpressed rusty-pilose; pedicels spreading at right angles from the axis, 

 1 J-8 lin. long, shortly pubescent* Sepals ovate, acute, densely ciliate. 

 Petals spathulate, pilose towards the apex. Small glabrous staminodes 

 present opposite the sepals. Disk annular or saucer-shaped, densely 

 pilose on the margin. Fruits trilobed, about 3 lin. in diam., very 

 sparingly setulose. Styles spreading over the top of the fruit, J lin. 

 long, bilobed, glabrous. Seeds black and shining, obovat^ in outline, 

 2 lin. long. — Antidesma comoensis, Beille in Bull. Soc. Bot. France, Ivi. 

 Mem. viii. 122. 



Upper Guinea. Sierra Leone : Bagru River, Mann, 833 ! Ivory Toast : 

 Miilanialassa, on the Lower Comoe, Chevalier, [17489 I Central Cavally : banks of 

 tl»e River Hania, Chevalier ! 



^. T, membranacea, Pax in Bolet. Soc. Brot. x. 158. A tree ; 

 branch lets veiy sparingly puberulous when quite young, soon glabrous. 

 Leaves elliptic or obovate-elliptic, gradually and shortly acuminate, only 

 slightly mucronate, cuneate at the base, 6J-9 in. long, 2J-4 in. broad, 

 membranous, glabrous and dull on both surfaces ; lateral nerves 8-9 oii 

 each side, oblique, slightly raised on both surfaces ; tertiary nerves very 

 slender and lax; veins scarcely visible; petiole 2-4 lin. long, sparsely 

 puberulous when young, at length glabrous and wrinkled ; stipules soon 

 deciduous, ovate-triangular, acute, Ij lin. long, J lin. broad, strigillose. 

 Male flowers not known. Female racemes about If in. long at the 

 flowering stage ; axis almost glabrous ; bracts scarcely J lin. long, ovate, 

 pubescent ; pedicels J lin. long, puberulous. Calyx more or less undu- 

 lately 5-G-lobed, .ciliate. Disk annular, densely ciliolate. Ovary very 

 sparingly pilose ; styles short, bitid, glabrous. Entire fruit not seen ; 

 exocarp very thin, glabrous and closely wrinkled outside; endocarp 

 horny, slightly thicker than the exocarp. Fruit-axis persistent, shaggy - 

 pubescent towards the top. Seeds rounded, 2 lin. in diam., slightly 

 shining ; pedicels in fruit spreading, 4 lin. long ; bracts minute. 



Ziower Guinea. Island of St. Thomas, Quintas, 121 ! 



