180 (.L. ARoiDEJi (brown). [Culcasia, 



from the top ; apex of sheath auriculate, rounded ; blade 2 J-3 in. long, 

 4-] in. broad, lanceolate, acute, or somewhat acuminate, mucronulate, 

 acute or subacute at the base ; glands few and very obscure, linear. 

 Peduncle terminal, solitary, 1 1 in. long. Spathe and spadix not seen. 

 Berries 3-4 lin. long, ellipsoid, red. 



Upper Guinea. Sierra Leone : 011 the wet banks of the river at Dantilia, 

 Seott-Elliof, 5293 1 



15. CERCESTIS, fSchott ; Benth. etHook. f. Gen. PI. iii. 080. 



Spathe convolute in the lower part, concave or boat-shaped above, 

 deciduous. Spadix free, monoecious, without an appendix or neuter 

 organs ; male and female parts contiguous. Perianth none. Ovary 

 1 -celled ; stigma sessile, large, discoid. Ovule solitary, subbasal, or a 

 little above the base on that side of the ovary which is directed towards 

 the apex of the spadix, anatropous. Male flowers crowded ; anthers 2-4, 

 free, sessile, broadly cuneate-oblong, truncate, 2-celled ; connective broad ; 

 cells opening by terminal pores. Berries ellipsoid or obovoid, 1 -seeded. 

 Seed erect, ellipsoid; testa rather thin, subcoriaceous ; albumen 

 copious ; embryo very small, seated at the base of the albumen. — Stems 

 climbing or creeping, rooting. Leaves alternate, petiolate, cordate- 

 oblong, sagittate, hastate or 3-lobed, penniveined ; primary veins 

 distant, secondary reticulated ; petiole sheathing at the base or to the 

 middle. Peduncle solitary, terminal or leaf-opposed. — Alocasiophyllum, 

 Engl. Jahrb. xv. 449. 



An endemic genus of 5 species. I cannot in any way distinguish AlocasiophifUumy 

 Engl., from Cercestis, Schott. 



Leaves 3-lobed ; basal lobes widely spreading, acute or 



obiusely acuminate . . • • • . 1. C Afzelii. 

 Leaves hastate or hastate-sagittate; basal lobes very 

 obtuse. 

 Part of leaf above the basal lobes deltoid or ovate- 

 deltoid • . 2. C. co7igensi.s. 



Part of leaf above the basal lobes oblong-lanceolate. 

 Basal lobes narrowly oblong, somewhat falcately 



curved outwards 3. C. stigmatiens. 



Basal lobes deltoid 4. C. BinUagei. 



Leaves lanceolate-oblong, shortly cordate at the base . 5. C. Jcamerunianus . 



1. C. Afzelii, Schoti in Oesterr. Bot. Wochenhl. 1857, 414. Stem 

 climbing or creeping on the ground, rooting, 2-2J lin. thick, usually 

 slightly rough to the touch. Leaves petiolate, glabrous ; petiole 3- 

 12 in. long, with a long or short sheath; blade hastately 3-lobed; 

 middle lobe 21-Gl in. long, 1 J-4 in. broad ; oblong or lanceolate, acute 

 or acuminate'- basal lobes 1 i-4 J. in. long, |-3 in. broad, lanceolate, 

 obtusely acuminate, widely divergent, 3-nerved, sometimes with a, 

 lobule on their lower side; basal sinus broad and open. Peduncle 

 solitary, terminal, usually about li in. long, moderately stout, glabrous. 

 Spathe \l-'2. in. long, convolute in the basal third; limb erect, elliptic- 



