44 cxLiii. COMMELINACE^ (clarke). [Co7mn^lina. 



C. communis^ Baker in Trans. Linn. Soc. xxix. 1G3. C. samhesiaca^ K. 

 Schum. in Engl. Pfl. Ost-Afr. C. 135. Commelina sp, n. 1, T. Thorns, 

 in Speke, Nile, Append. 650. 



Mozamb. Dlst. Zanzibar, Speke Sf Grant! German East Africa : Rovuma, 

 River, Kirk ! Portuguese East Africa : Lower Zambesi : opposite Sena, Kirk I 

 banks of the River Shire, near Morambala Mountain, Kirk I Shupanga, Kirk ! 

 Zambesi Delta ; mouth of the Kongoni River, Kirk ! British Central Africa : 

 Nyasaland ; Plains of Zomba, 2500-3500 ft., TVhyte ! Lake Nyasa, Simons ! 



The leaves are used as spinach according to Speke & Grant. 



20. C. boissieriana, C. B. Clarke in DC. Monogr. Phan. iii. 161. 

 Nearly glabrous. Leaves 3 J by J in., lanceolate, sessile. Peduncles 

 scattered, exser ted J in. from the leaf -sheaths. Spathes 1 in. long, broadly 

 ovate, acute, thinly hairy, margins connate at the base. Petals blue. 

 Capsule J in. long, broadly oblong, obtuse, soon 3-valved ; seed of the 

 dorsal valve smooth; seeds of the ventral cells unknown. — Schweinf. in 

 Bull. Instit. %ypt. 1887, 320 (36 in reprint); Aschers. & Schweinf. in 

 Mem. Instit. Egypt, ii. 776 (154 in reprint); Durand & Schinz, Con- 

 spect. Fl. Afr. v. 424 ; Schweinf. in Bull. Herb. Boiss. ii. Append, ii. 53. 



Nile X.and. Eritrea : Geleb, 5000 ft., Schweivfiirth^ 117. Ginda, 3300 ft., 

 Schweinfurth, 437. Keren, Steudner, 1481, 1483. Abyssinia, Oaillardet, 297 ! 



Also in Extratropical Egypt. 



This species was founded on Gaillardet, 297, in which the capsule was imperfect ; 

 -and it is very possibly the same plant as C. Schinzii described below. 



21. C. Forskalsei, Vakl, Enum. ii. 172. Glabrous, grey-puberu- 

 lous or pubescent. Stems 8-24 in. long, much branched, weak rooting 

 from the lower nodes. Leaves up to 2 by § in., oblong or scarcely elliptic, 

 tips usually obtuse, never acuminate, margins often wavy. Peduncles 

 scattered, exserted -J- J in. from the leaf-sheaths. Spathes attaining J-| 

 in. long, obliquely funnel-shaped, glabrate or sparsely hispid. Petals 

 blue. Capsule small, 3-1-seeded ; dorsal cell scabrous, subindehiscent, 

 1 -seeded ; ventral cells of the ovary 2-ovuled, 0-1 -seeded ; seeds of the 

 ventral cells small, subglobose, smooth. — Kunth, Enum. iv. 49 ; Benth. 

 in Hook. Niger Fl. 542 in obs.; Hassk. in Schweinf. Beitr. Fl. Aethiop. 

 208, 295 ; C. B. Clarke in DC. Monogr. Phan. iii. 168 incl. all vars. ; 

 Durand & Schinz, Corispect. Fl. Afr. v. 425 ; Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. vi. 371 ; 

 Schweinf. in Bull. Herb. Boiss. ii. Append, ii. 56 ; K. Schum. in Engl. 

 Pfl. Ost-Afr. C. 135 ; Kendle in Journ. Linn. Soc. xxx. 430, and in Cat. 

 Afr. PI. Welw. 77. C.fcdcata, Hassk. in Peters, Reise Mozamb. Bot. 527. 

 C. Kotschyi, K. Schum. in Engl. Pfl. Ost-Afr. C. 135, not of Hassk. 



Upper Guinea. Cape Verd Isles, Cardoso, 253 ! Senegal, Roger, 93 ! Ferroitety 

 706 ! Senej^rtinbia, Heudelot, 276 ! Leprieur ! Bornu, Vor/el, 67 ! Niger Territory : 

 Nupe, Barter, 1477 ! 



irile Iiand. Nubia : Wady Erkowit, near Saakin, Scliweivfnrth^ 286! coast 

 to between 3000 and 4000 ft.. Bent I Kordofan : Bir Sodari, Pfund, 188 ! Gebel 

 Kiirbag, Pfund, 357! 795! Obeyad, Pfund, 367! on plains, Kotschy, 34! Arashkol 

 Mountain, Kotschy, 105 ! Eritrea : Mount Ghedem, near Massowa, Schweinfurfh Sf 

 J2t«a, 113 ! Otoumbo, near Mhssowh, Schweinf urth Sf Riva, 196! near Saati, 

 Schweinfurih cf Riva, 338 ! Galabat : region of Matamma, Schweinfurth, 532 ! 



