16 cxLii. XYRiDEiE (brown). [Xyrts. 



larger when in fruit, ovoid, ellipsoid, or in fruit subglobose, 4-10- 

 flowered. Bracts all reaching to nearly the same level, 2-2J lin. long, 

 1-1 J lin. broad, oblong or broadly obovate-oblong, entire, light olive- 

 brown, rather thin, 8-nerved ; the outer very obtuse, slightly keeled ; 

 the inner complicate-subacute and keeled at the apex, glabrous. Lateral 

 sepals 2-2J lin. long, J lin. broad, linear-lanceolate, very acute, straw- 

 coloured along the back, membranous and colourless on the sides ; keel 

 narrowly winged, slightly curved at about the middle, erect at the apex, 

 minutely and sparsely ciliolate to ^ or | the way up ; interior sepal 

 bright reddish -purple. Petals 2 lin. long, IJ lin. broad, obovate, ob- 

 tusely rounded at the apex, scarcely toothed, yellow. Staminodes very 

 shortly 2-armed, with brush-like tufts of long yellow hairs; anthers 

 oblong, at length subhastate at the base. 



Xtower Guinea, Angola : Humpata ; in a pool by the River Neve, Newton ! 



Very like X. affinis, Welw., but differing in the narrower lateral sepals which are 

 very acute and erec^t at the apex. 



12. X. afanis, Welw. ex Rendle in Cat. Afr. PL Wehv. ii. 70. Tufted. 

 Leaves 2-4J in. long, including the 1 in. long sheath, ^-1 lin. broad, 

 linear, acute, glabrous ; sheaths of the withered leaves persistent, dark 

 brown, ciliate. Peduncular-sheath 2J-3 in. long, leafless, apiculate. 

 Peduncle 9-10 in. long, \-^ lin. thick, subcom pressed, glabrous. Spike 

 2J-3 lin. long and nearly as thick, ellipsoid or obovoid when young, 

 becoming at length subglobose and somewhat flattened at the top, 

 rather few-flowered. Bracts l^-'2l lin. long, ll-2 lin. broad, broadly 

 elliptic or slightly obovate, obtuse, entire, 3-nerved, subcoriaceous, dark 

 brown with paler subscarious margins, those in the centre of the head 

 deeply concave and much lighter in colour. Lateral sepals 2-2 J lin. 

 long, J-J lin. broad, narrowly oblanceolate, obtuse and slightly hooded 

 at the apex, somewhat membranous, light yellowish-brown along the keel, 

 darker brown at the apex and pallid straw-coloured at the sides ; 

 keel nearly straight in the lower |, rather broadly winged, minutely 

 ciliate and scabridulous from near the base to about J or ^ from the 

 apex ; interior sepal bright reddish-purple. Petals obovate, yellow. 

 Staminodes 2-armed, pilose. Anthers 1 lin. long, orange in the bud. 

 Capsule oblanceolate, beaked. Seeds as in X. nivea. 



JtO'wer Guinea. Angola : Huilla; in the elevated damp meadows of Morro 

 de Monino, 5000 ft., JFelwittch, 2467 ! 



Very similar to X. humpatensis, N. E. Br., and scarcely to be distinguished 

 without dissection, when the rather darker, broader, oblanceolate, obtuse and slightly 

 hooded sepals at once distinguish it. 



13. X. obscura^ X. E. Br. Leaves and peduncular-sheath not 

 seen. Peduncles 12-15 in. long, \-^ lin. thick, slightly compressed, 

 glabrous. Spike about 3 lin. long, 2j lin. thick, ellipsoid, not more 

 than 5-6-flowered. Bracts 2-2J lin. long, 2 lin. broad, coriaceous, 

 orbicular or broadly elliptic, very obtuse, minutely apiculate, entire, 

 dark chestnut- brown, very minutely papillate-scabrid in the apical part, 

 5-7-nerved ; inner bracts all reaching to about the same level. Lateml 



