12 CXLII. XYRIDE^ (brown). [X^IS. 



colour on the sides ; keel shortly ciliate from the base up to the base 

 of the apiculus. Corolla-lobes (withered) apparently oblong. Arms 

 of the staminodes with brush-like tufts of long brownish hairs, shorter 

 than the stamens. Anthers broadly linear, 



Xiower Guinea. Angola : Huilla ; plentiful in spongy places, near streams, 

 around LopoUo, Welwitsch, 2474 ! 



4. X. dispar, N. E. Br. Leaves not seen. Peduncular-sheath 

 about G in. long, with a leafy linear point about ^ in. long, J lin. broad, 

 glabrous. Peduncle about 2 ft, long, j lin. broad, much compressed, 

 glabrous. Spike 3-3J lin. long, and about the same in thickness, sub- 

 globose. Outer bracts about 2 Hn. long, 1 1-2 lin. broad, coriaceous, 

 elliptic or suborbicular, obtuse, entire, not ciliate, 2 or 3 of them termi- 

 nated by a short awn J-1 lin. long, the others apiculate and slightly 

 keeled at the apex, dark brown, shining ; inner bracts all reaching to 

 about the same level, 2|-3 lin. long, 1^-1 J lin. broad, coriaceous, with 

 thin margins, ovate, shortly acuminate into a rigid very acute almost 

 pungent point, keeled, concave, entire, not ciliate, light olive- brown, 

 with a slight yellowish tinge. Lateral sepals 2J-3 lin. long, f to nearly 



1 lin. broad, somewhat oblong-lanceolate, regularly curved along the 

 back, nearly straight along the margins, somewhat obtuse, mucronate, 

 golden-brown aloDg the back, darker at the apex, the colour fading out 

 and disappearing at the broad membranous margins ; keel ver}'^ narrowly 

 winged, minutely ciliate or scabrid along the middle part or occasionally 

 nearly or quite up to the base of the short subulate mucro, but not on 

 the basal third. Corolla-lobes 3 lin. long, If lin. broad, cuneate-obovate, 

 subtruncate and rather coarsely toothed at the apex, bright yellow. 

 Arms of the staminodes short, linear, with brush-like tufts of long yellow 

 hairs half as long as the petals. Anthers \\ lin. long, linear-oblong. 



nXozamb. Bist. British Central Africa: Maslionaland ; at Six-mile Spruit, 

 near Salisbury, Hon. Mrs. Evelyn Cecil, 152 ! 



5. X. ancepSy Lam. Encycl. i. 132. Leaves 2-1 4 in. long, IJ-^J hn. 

 broad, linear, obtuse or acute, glabrous, with concolorous sheaths f — i J in. 

 long. Peduncular-sheath 1^-6^ in. long, leafless and obtuse or with a leafy 

 obtuse point \-h in. long. Peduncle ^-2^ ft. long, J-1^ lin. broad, com- 

 pressed and acutely two-edged, especially towards the apex, glabrous. 

 8pike globose or broadly ovoid, 3-5 lin. diam., many-flowered. Bracts 2-3 

 lin. long, l|-2 lin. j3road, coriaceous, elliptic, very obtuse, or the inner ones 

 subacute, entire, not ciliate, light yellowish-brown or pale straw-coloured, 

 with a narrowly ovate or lanceolate acute green area at the slightly 

 keeled apex; nerves about 7-9, very slender and obscure. Lateral sepals 



2 J-2 J lin. long, J lin. broad, subspathulate-lanceolate, straight or slightly 

 falcate, acute, with a rather broad wing-like keel, neither ciliate nor 

 produced at the apex, entirely pale straw-colour. Corolla yellow ; tube 

 2 J lin. long; lobes about l\ hn. long, |-1 lin. broad, broadly cuneate- 

 obovate, denticulate. Arms of the staminodes very small, with a brush- 

 like tuft of long yellow hairs. Anthers oblong. Capsule IJ lin. long, 

 trigonous, oblong, obtuse, not apiculate. — Nilss. in Svensk. Vet. Akad. 

 Handl. xxiv. no. 14, 37 ; Durand & Schinz, Consp. Fl. Afr. v. 419 ; Engl. 



