Caperania,] cxxii. euphorbiace^ (prain). 8i5J 



Dusen's Cameroon specimen hns the leaves rather distinctly pnnertate above, Imt 

 does not otlierwise differ from M oiler's St. Thomas's Island plant. This very distinct 

 species, though first described from African material, appears to be an introduction 

 from America, wliere it is wide-spread (West Indies, Hb. Forsyth : Panama, Sutton 

 Hayes 703 ; Brazil, Trail 743 ; Peru, Tweedie) , and has hitherto been confused now 

 with C. palustris, now with C. castanecefolia. It is the only Caperonia, besides 

 C. cordata, St. Hil., with the leaves palmately nerved at the base. 



2. C, Buchananiy Baker in Kew Bulletin, 1912, 108. An annual 

 herb ; stems simple, stout, soft, hispid upwards, 1 ft. high. Leaves 

 short -petioled, upper oblong or oblanceolate-oblong, acute, lower obo- 

 vate, obtuse, margin crenate, base crenate, upper l|-2 in. long, J-1 in. 

 wide, lower 1-1 J in, long, medium green above, paler beneath, sparingly 

 hispid on the nerves especially beneath ; main-nerves 5-9 on each side ; 

 petiole J-J in. long, hispid ; stipules lanceolate, 2J lin. long, caducous. 

 Eacemes 1 in. long or less ; rhachis and pedicels hispid or pubescent ; 

 bracts lanceolate, small. Male sepals 5, elliptic-oblong, apiculate, 

 glabrous. Petals 5, very unequal, 3 larger, obovate, rather longer than 

 sepals, 2 very small, oblong. Stamens about 10 ; j&laments short. 

 Female sepals 5-6, unequal, all obovate, sparingly toothed on the margin, 

 apiculate, 2-3 outer one-third .^mailer than the 3 inner. Petals 5, 

 oblanceolate, obtuse, shorter than the inner sepals. Ovary closely beset 

 with flattened acute processes. Capsule muricate, J in. wide ; accrescent 

 sepals J in. long. Seeds pale grey, spherical. 



XM^ozamb. Bistr. British Central Africa : Nyasaland ; without precise 

 locality, Buchanan ! 



3. C. Stuhlmanni, Pax in Engl. Jahrh. xix. 81. An annual herb; 

 stems branching, rather stout, soft, hispid throughout, 2-3 ft. high. 

 Leaves short-petioled, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate or linear, acute, 

 margin sharply serrate, base acute, 2-4J in. long, J-1 in. wide, medium 

 green above, paler beneath, hispid on the nerves especially on the under 

 surface; main-nerves 8-12 on each side, very prominent beneath; 

 petiole YV~i ^^- lo"^» hispid ; stipules ovate-lanceolate, acuminate or 

 subulate, caducous. Racemes 2—2^ in. long ; rhachis and pedicels 

 hispid ; bracts lanceolate, small. Male sepals 5, ovate, acute, hispid. 

 Petals 5, very unequal, 3 larger spathulate-oblon^, longer than the 

 sepals, 2 very small, narrow oblong, all clawed. Stamens about 10; 

 filaments short. Female sepals 5-6, unequal, ovate-lanceolate, acute, 

 hispid, the 3 outer slightly shorter than the 3 inner. Petals 5, casually 

 6, oblong-lanceolate, rather shorter than the outer sepals. Ovary closely 

 beset with narrow-subulate, gland-tipped processes. Capsule muricate 

 and setose, J in. wide ; accrescent sepals y^-J in. long. Seeds deep 

 blue-grey or nearly black, spherical. — Pax in Engl. Pfl. Ost-Afr. 

 C. 237. 



Mozamb. ]>istr. German East Africa: Usambara ; Bu Makaynni, Hoist, 

 3960! Pangani; Blafrika, Stuhlmann, 786! Usinja; tJsatnbiro, Sfuhlmann, 

 861 ! Portuguese East Africa: Quillimane, Stuhlmann, 601. 



This species is most nearly allied to C. palustris, and is only distinguishable by 

 the colour of its seeds. We have not seen the specimens collected by Stuhlmann 

 at Quillimane. 



