18 CXLII. XYRIDEiE (bROWN). [Xi/vis. 



IG. X. huillensiSy RendXe in Cat. Afr. PI. Welw. ii. 71. Densely 

 tufted. Leaves j-^J in. long, \-\ lin. broad, linear, acute ; sheaths 

 with membranous margins. Peduncular-sheath about as long as the 

 leaves, acute or with a short leafy point. Peduncle ^^-12 in. long, 

 i-\ lin. thick, filiform, slightly angular, reddish below. Spike about 

 2 iin. long, 1^-2 lin. thick, ellipsoid, becoming subglobose in fruit, 

 about 6-flowered. Bracts li-lj lin. long, |-1 lin. broad, elliptic-oblong, 

 very obtuse, subcoriaceous, rather stoutly keeled in the upper half, 

 entire, 8-nerved (sometimes incompletely), light brown, slightly shining. 

 Lateral sepals l^-lf lin. long, ^-|^ lin. broad, broadly lanceolate, acute, 

 light brown along the keel, membranous and nearly colourless on the 

 sides; keel narrow, quite entire. Corolla-lobes IJ lin. long, f lin. 

 broad, obovate, yellow. Arms of the staminodes densely pilose, bright 

 yellow. Anthers subsagittate. Ovary compressed-ellipsoid, becoming 

 obovoid and shortly rostrate as it ripens. Seeds ellipsoid, narrowing 

 to a slight umbo at each end, crimson, with dark longitudinal lines. 



Ziow^er Guinea. Angola : Huilla ; Empalanca, in lofty sandy pastures, 

 flooded in the rainy season, Welwitsch, 2469 ! marshes near the River Quipumpun- 

 hime, in the Humpata district between Nene and Humpata, Wehvitsch, 2472 ! 



17. X. anisophylla, Welw. ex Rendle in Cat. Afr. PI. Welw. ii. 72. 

 Leaves 2-8J in. long, |-J lin. broad, linear, acute. Peduncular-sheath 

 lJ-2 in. long, acute. Peduncle 5-8 J in. long, |^-J lin. thick, "of a 

 shining copper or almost gold coionv'' {Welwitsch). Spike 2 lin. long, 

 1J-2J lin. broad, elUpsoid, somewhat truncate at the apex, often 

 becoming hemispherical when mature, 5-flowered. Bracts 1^-lf hn. 

 long, IJ-lJ lin. broad, orbicular-obovate to broadly elliptic, very obtuse, 

 sometimes faintly keeled in the upper part, entire, membranous, 

 3-nerved, very light reddish-brown, with broad transparent straw- 

 coloured margins. Lateral sepals Ij-lf in. long, scarcely J lin. broad, 

 somewhat oblong-lanceolate, acute or subacute, membranous, nearly 

 colourless, veiy light brownish or straw-coloured along the back ; keel 

 very narrow, quite entire. Petals (torn) more than 1| lin. long, 

 scarcely 1 lin. broad, yellow. Staminodes 2-armed, with dense tufts of 

 yellow hairs, more than half the length of the stamens. Anthers f lin. 

 long, oblong, cordate at the base. Fruit scarcely IJ lin. long, plano- 

 convex, narrowly obovoid, very shortly beaked. Seeds ellipsoid, with 

 an apical umbo, longitudinally marked with distinct spiral ridges, red. 



:Lo-virer Guinea. Angola : Pungo Andongo ; in spongy places in the Praesi- 

 dium, near the huge rocks of the Barrancos de Catete, Welwitsch, 2463. 



18. X. fugaciflora, Rendle in Cat. Afr. PI. Welw. ii. 71. Csespi- 

 tose. Leaves J-4 in. long, i-J lin. broad, linear, acute, transversely 

 rugulose ; scabridulous at the margin, especially when old. Peduncular- 

 sheath J-2 in. long, with a leafy point 1:^-3 lin. long. Peduncle 3-9 in. 

 long, \-\ lin. broad, very slender, flattened, glabrous. Spike If -2 J lin. 

 long, 1 to nearly 2 lin. thick, 4-5-flowered, ellipsoid when in flower, 

 becoming semi-ellipsoid in fruit. Bracts lJ-2 lin. long, |-lj lin. 

 broad, varying from elliptic to oibicular, very obtuse, membranous. 



