Vycnocoma?^ cxxii. EUPHORBiACEiE (prain). 959 



5. P. brachystachya, Pax in Evgl. Jahrh. xliii. 82. A shrub, 

 2-0 ft. high ; branches stout, soft. Leaves clustered at the ends of the 

 twigs, sessile, thinly to firmly chartaceous, oblanceolate-oblong, acute or 

 acuminate, narrowed from the upper third to the very acute base, 

 margin entire, 12-20 in. long, oJ-4J in. wide, glabrous on both surfaces. 

 Racemes shortly peduncled, from the axils of the upper leaves ; rhachis 

 densely pubescent ; bracts ovate, obtuse, concave, densely pubescent ; 

 pedicels pubescent, slender, J in. long, 1-3 to a bract. Male: Sepals 3, 

 ovate-triangular, acute, densely pubescent externally, reflexed in flower, 

 \ in. long. Stamens numerous; filaments slender, J in. long. Female: 

 Sepals T), oblong-lanceolate, acute, densely pubescent externally, i in. 

 long. Ovary 3-celled, pubescent, each cell with two short triangular 

 dorsal horns ; styles 3, densely pubescent, connate in their lower third. 

 Fruit not seen. 



Upper Guinea. Southern Nigeria : Lagos ; Abeokuta, at Obumo Rock, Millen, 

 149! Caiueioons : Victoria, Winkler, 361. 



We Imve not seen the original specimen, collected by Dr. Winkler, on -which 

 this species is based. The specimens collected by Milieu agree as regards foliage 

 with P. macrophylla, but as regards pubescence with P. cornuta, of which P. 

 hrachystachya may be only a form. The racemes are much shorter than in either 

 P. macrophylla or P. cornuta. 



G. P. macrophylla, Benth. in UooJc. Niger Fl. 508. Shrub, 8 ft. 

 high ; branches stout, soft. Leaves clustered at the ends of the twigs, 

 sessile, thinly to firmly chartaceous, oblanceolate-oblong, acute or 

 acuminate, narrowed from the upper third to the very acute base and 

 there sometimes abruptly contracted into a winged pseudo-petiole 3-4 in. 

 long, margin entire, 12-20 in. long, 3J-4J in. wide, glabrous on both 

 surfaces. Racemes peduncled, from the axils of the upper leaves ; 

 rhachis thinly pubescent ; bracts ovate, obtuse, concave, densely 

 adpressed grey -silky externally ; pedicels glabrous or sparingly pubes- 

 cent, very slender, |-1 in. long, 1-3 to a bract. Male: Sepals 3, 

 ovate-triangular, acute, glabrous except at the acute bearded tips 

 externally, reflexed in flower, J in. long. Stamens numerous ; filaments 

 slender, J in. long. Female : Sepals 5, oblong-lanceolate, acute, adpressed- 

 silky externally especially in the upper half, reflexed in flower, i in. 

 long. Ovary 3-celled, densely adpressed-silky, each cell with two short 

 triangular dorsal horns ; styles 3, sparingly hirsute, connate in their 

 lower third. Capsule 3-coccous, 3-dymous, J in. across; cocci 2-valved, 

 closely finely velvety externally, each valve with a projecting obtusely 

 triangular horn-like wing 2 lin. long and deep. Seeds globose, brown, 

 I in. across.— Miill. Arg. in DC. Prodr. xv. ii. 951 ; De Wild, fitudes 

 Fl. Bas- et Moyen-Congo, i. 278 ; Th. & Hel. Durand, Syll. FL Congol. 

 497. P. Zenk'eri, tax in Engl. Jahrb. xxvi. 329. 



upper Guinea. Southern Nigeria: Oban, Talbot, 6991 Cameroons: Lom, 

 600-1000 ft., Ledermann, 6439 ! Bodje, Ledermann, 295 ! Ossidinge ; Abon:.ndo. 

 300 ft., Rudatis, 96 ! Bipinde, Zenker, 1251 ! Batanga, Binklage, 1371 ! Fernando 

 Po : Vogel, 18 ! 



Soutb Central. Belgian Congo : Kwango; Dyuma Valley ! Gentil! Gillet, 

 2843! Eastern Prov.; near Stanley Falls, Dewivre, 1168! 



