Eriocaulon.\ cliv. eriocaule^ (brown). 28U 



5. IS. Thunbergiiy Wickstr. e,n KOrmcke in Linnoa, .\xvii. 1)77. 

 Stemless. Leaves tufted, G-1)J in. long, 2-3 J lin. broad at the middle, 

 broadly linear, obtuse, flat, 22-2r)-nerved, glabrous. Peduncles J -2 to 

 a plant, shorter than the leaves, 5-^-6 J in. long, striate, glabrous, 

 slightly punctulate, their sheaths o-3j in. long, acuminate, at length 

 bifid, lax, pellucid. Heads o lin. in diam., semiglobose, white- villous at 

 the summit. Involucral-bracts obovate, rounded at the apex, mem- 

 branous, glabrous, fuscous, darker towards the apex. Flowering- bracts 

 lanceolate- oblong, acute or acuminate, membranous, fuscous towards 

 the apex or entirely light yellowish, bearded on the apical part. 

 Female flowers shortly pedicellate. Sepals ;}, free, ol^long, obtuse, boat- 

 shaped, thin and membranous, hyaline- whitish, bearded above and with 

 a crest of hairs at the middle of the back. Petals o, inserted much 

 higher than the sepals and equalling them, equal, spathulate-linear, 

 obtuse, sparsely hairy within, white, without glands. Male flowers 

 shortly pedicellate. Sepals 3, oblong, very obtuse, connate into a 

 funnel-shaped body open on one side, hyaline, whitish, sparsely bearded 

 on the apical part. Petals equal, small, hairy within, with a black 

 gland below the apex ; anthers yellowish. — Durand k, Schinz, Conspect. 

 Fl. Afr. V. 503 ; Ruhland in Engl. Jahrb. xxvii. 81. 



Upper G>uinea. Sieri'a Leone, Afzelius. 



0. E. bifistulosam. Van Heurck d- Jlnll. Arg. in Van Heurck^ Obs. 

 Bot. 105. Aquatic, probably submerged. Stem elongated, usually 

 rather stout, densely leafy in the upper part. Leaves 1-3^ in. long, 

 J-J lin. broad at the base, filiform or almost capillary, tapering to a very 

 tine point, 1 -nerved, glabrous. Peduncles numerous, lA-5 in. long, 

 J- J lin. thick, obscurely 5-6-ribbed, glabrous; their sheaths f-lj in. 

 long, obtuse or bifid at the apex, glabrous. Heads H-- Hu. in diam., 

 depressed-globose, monoecious, fuscous or blackish, often nearly glabrous 

 to the eye. Involucral-bracts h-'i lin. long, J-| lin. broad, obovate- 

 oblong or suborbicular, very obtuse, membranous, varying from light 

 brown to blackish, glabrous. Flowering bracts ;j-| lin. long, \ lin. 

 broad, oblong-obovate or oblong, obtuse or subacute, concave, fuscous, 

 with a few minute dusky or whitish hairs on the apical part, or the 

 outer bracts glabrous, perhaps from the hairs being deciduous. Recep- 

 tacle glabrous. Female flowers conspicuous from their comparatively 

 large size, pedicellate. Sepals 3, free, h, lin. long, obovate, hooded or 

 very deeply concave, obtuse, enclosing the rest of the flower and form- 

 ing an inflated balloon-shaped bud, membranous, blackish or fuscous, 

 glabrous. Petals 3, arising close to the sepals, nearly }> lin. long, J lin. 

 broad, spathulate-oblanceolate, obtuse, membranous, fuscous, glabrous, 

 with a very minute black gland below the apex. Ovary trigonous ; 

 style trifid to nearly half-way down. Male flowers few or numerous, 

 pedicellate. Sepals 3, connate into a funnel-shaped body nearly ^ lin. 

 long, open down one side and obtusely 3-4-lobed at the apex, or one of 

 them free, fuscous or blackish. Stipes between the sepals and petals 

 nearly as long as the sepals. Petals very minute, about ^ lin. long, 



