Xyi'is.] GXLii. XYRiDE^ (brown). 15 



9. X. Welwitschii, Reyidle in Cat. Afr. PI. Welw. ii. 68. Leaves 

 3-6 in. long, 1 lin. or less broad, linear, acute, submembranous, scabrid on 

 the margin. Peduncular-sheath 2-4 in. long, leaf-like, acute. Peduncle 

 G-14 in. long, J-J lin. thick, somewhat compressed, with longitudinal 

 minutely scabrid ridges. Spike about 4 lin. long, :^^-4.1 lin. thick, ellip- 

 soid when young, hemispherical when mature, several-flowered. Bracts 

 2-3 lin. long, 1|-2| lin. broad, elliptic to obovate, obtuse, not keeled, 

 thin and scarious, becoming somewhat membranous towards the margins, 

 entire, 3-nerved, translucent, light brownish-ochreous or straw-coloured, 

 glabrous, with no dorsal area. Lateral sepals slightly protruding 

 beyond the bracts, 3-3;^ lin. long, ^-| lin. broad, lanceolate, acute, dull 

 ochreous ; keel most minutely scabrid-ciliolate at the middle, otherwise 

 entire; third sepal crimson. Corolla yellow. Staminodes shortly 

 tufted, pilose. Anthers scarcely 1 lin. long, linear-oblong. Seeds 

 ellipsoid, minutely umbonate at the ends, longitudinally ridged, with 

 transverse inconspicuous bladder-like markings, dull black. 



Xio-wer Guinea. Angola : Huilla ; in wooded marshy meadows between 

 Lopollo and Monino, Welwitsch, 2465 ! 



I do not find the keel of the lateral sepals hispidulons as originally described, but 

 the central part has an exceedingly minute scabrid-denticulation, which can only be 

 «een under a moderately powerful lens. 



10. X, scabridula^ Rendle in Cat. Afr. PL Welw. ii. 72. Leaves 

 J-2J in. long, J- J lin. broad, linear, mucronate at the apex, very 

 minutely scabrid on the margin. Peduncle '2-(d^ in. long, distinctly 

 striate. Spike lJ-3 lin. long, |-3 lin. thick, few-flowered. Bracts 

 1 J-2;^ lin. long, 1^-2 lin. broad, orbicular-obovate or suborbicular, very 

 obtuse, sometimes mucronulate, entire, submembranous, obscurely and 

 imperfectly 3-nerved, very light golden-brown. Lateral sepals 1 J-2 lin. 

 long, |-J lin. bfoad, broadly lanceolate, acute, membranous, light brown 

 in the apical part ; keel regularly curved from the base to the apex, with 

 an exceedingly narrow wing in the lower part, very minutely ciliate 

 along the middle part ; interior sepals light ochreous-brown (always ?). 

 Oorolla-lobes rather more than 1 lin. long, scarcely | lin. broad, obovate, 

 intense yellow. Arms of the staminodes hairy. Ovary oblanceolate. 

 Seeds ellipsoid, umbonate at one or both ends, almost smooth, crimson. 



l^ow^er Guinea. Angola : Huilla ; on the Serra de Oiahoia, behind Humpata, 

 in elevated sandy meadows, which are sometimes flooded in summer, TFeltvitsch, 

 2470 ! 



This species is very similar to X. qffinis, Rendle, and A', humpatensis, N. E. Br., 

 but the lateral sepals are much broader and different in form. I do not find that the 

 leaves are rugulose as originally described, but some of them are slightly wrinkled 

 from shrinkage in drying, as is very often the case. 



11. X. humpatensis, N. E. Br. Leaves lJ-3 in. long, includ- 

 ing the J-1 in. long sheath, J-1 lin. broad, linear, acute, glabrous ; 

 sheath ciliate. Peduncular-sheath 2J-4 in. long, with a leafy acute 

 point 1-2 lin. long, glabrous. Peduncle ^-1 ft. long, J- J lin. thick, 

 subterete, striate, glabrous. Spike 2J-3 lin. long, 1J-2J lin. thick, 



