48 cxLiii. coMMELixACE.E (clarke). [Comnielina. 



acute, suddenly contracted at the base. Peduncles scattered, 1-2 in, 

 long, Spathes up to '^ in. long, ovate-lanceolate, long- attenuate, very 

 nearly glabrous ; margins free at the base. Flowers large, " pale yellow '' 

 (L. Scott), some long exserted from the spathe ; in the dried examples 

 2 petals yellow, the third smaller and brownish. Filaments J in. long. 

 Capsule of the section Heterocarjnis. 



Wile Ziand. British East Africa : Ukamba ; Kitui, Hildehrandt , 2643 I 

 Rabai Hills, near Mombasa, Taylor ! 



Mozamb. Sist. British Central Africa: Xyasalaud; Blantyre, Scott ! Shire 

 Highlands, Buchanan, 285 ! 



This differs from all the species of the C. africana group (except C. involucrosx) 

 by its large spathes; it is too glabrous to be put with C. involucrosa, nor does th^ 

 leaf-base match. 



28. C.Kirkiiy C. B. Clarke in DC. Monogr. Fkan.iii. 1G7. Nearly 

 glabrous. Stems 15 in. long, with internodes 2-3 in. long. Leaves 

 4-G by J-J in., linear or scarcely linear-lanceolate. Peduncles J-1 J in. 

 long towards the ends of the branches. Spathes 1 j-2J in. long, lanceo- 

 late long-attenuate; margins free at the base. Flowers yellow, some 

 much exserted from the spathe. Capsule (though not seen well ripened} 

 of the section Heterocarp^is. — Durand & Schinz, Conspect. Fl. Afr. 

 v. 426 ; K. Schum. in Engl. Pfl. Ost-Afr. C. 135. 



Mozamb. 3>ist. Portuguese East Africa : Moraraballa Mountain, 1000-3000 

 ft., Kirk ! British Central Africa : Nyasaland ; Ndirandi Mountain, near Blantyre, 

 Scotl'Elliot, 8498 ! Shire Valley, Waller ! 



Also iji Mauritius. 



2'.>. C. boehmiana, K. Schum. in Engl. Pfl. Ost-Afr. C. 135. Stems 

 12-14 in. long, pubescent at the top. Leaves up to 4 by 4 in., elongate- 

 lanceolate, puberulous on both faces. Spathes cordate, acuminate, not 

 turbinate (i.e., margins at the base free). Seeds ^ in. long, pitted, 

 black. 



Mozamb. Bist. German East Africa : TJnyamwezi ; Gonda (Igonda), Boeh'.n, 

 12. 



K. Schumann does not mention the colour of the flowers nor describe the capsule ; 

 but he says the species is close to C. Kirkii, from which it is supposed the flowers 

 are yellow, the dorsal cell of the capsule indehiseent and 1- seeded. If these things 

 are. not so, the spec-ies may belong to some different section of the genus. 



30. C. Mannii, C. B. Clarke hi DC. Monogr. Phan. iii. 167. 

 Yery sparingly hairy. Stems up to 12 in. long, weak ; internodes up 

 to 2 in. long. Leaves up to 1;^ by f in. (mostly smaller), elliptic, tip 

 triangular and subobtuse. Peduncles few, near the tops of the 

 branches, scarcely |- in. longer than the leaf-sheaths. Spathes J in. 

 long, ovate, not acuminate; margins free at the base. Capsule small ; 

 in each ventral cell 1 reticulated seed ; in the dorsal indehiseent cell 

 1 seed closely sticking to the cell- wall. — Engl. Hochgebirgsfl. Trop. 

 Afr. 155 ; Durand & Schinz, Conspect. Fl. Afr. v. 426. Commelina sp., 

 Hook. f. in Journ. Linn. Soc. vii. 228. 



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