248 CLiv. ERiocAULE^ (brown). \Eriocaulon. 



green when older. Leaves numerous, f-2 in. long, J-lJ lin. broad, 

 linear, obtusely pointed and slightly hardened at the apex, erectly 

 spreading, glabrous. Peduncles 5-8 in, long, about i lin. thick, sub- 

 fiHform, terete, about G-striate in the dried state, glabrous ; their 

 sheaths slightly shorter than the leaves, oblique at the mouth, subacute. 

 Heads 1 J-2 lin, thick, subglobose, somewhat truncate at the base, dark 

 fuscous or blackish, monoecious, with the outer flowers female. Invo- 

 lucral-bracts 1 lin. long, J lin. broad, oblong, obtuse or subacute, 

 glabrous, straw-coloured, shining. Flowering-bvacts 1 lin. or slightly 

 more long, J-J lin. broad, oblanceblate, very acute, incurved, glabrous, 

 fuscous, with a few of the outermost straw-coloured. Receptacle pilose. 

 Female flowers shortly pedicellate. Sepals 3, unequal, fuscous, glabrous ; 

 the 2 lateral | lin. long, \-\ lin. broad, obliquely spathulate-obovate, 

 nearly straight on the inner margins, very gibbous-keeled on the back, 

 very acute or almost awned at the apex, deeply concave, or somewhat 

 hooded ; third sepal slightly shorter, about ^ \m. broad, linear- 

 oblaiiceolate, acute, nearly flat. Petals 3, unequal, arising about ^ Im. 

 above the sepals, fuscous, glabrous, the largest petal about | lin. long, 

 ^ lin. broad, linear-lanceolate, acute or bifid, the others shorter, linear- 

 cuneate, bifid or irregularly crenulate at the apex. Male flowers 

 pedicellate. Sepals 3, free, oblanceolate, obtuse, or more or less united 

 into a funnel-shaped body open down one side, glabrous, fuscous. 

 Petals rudimentary. Anthers black. Seeds ellipsoid, striolate. 



Xiower Guinea. Angola: Pungo Andongo, 2400-3800 ft. ; in the Praesidium, 

 in spongy places en the higher rocks of Pedra de Cazaniba, Welwitsch, 2442! 

 in spongy rocky places by the springs on the gigantic rocks of the Prsesidium, at 

 Fonte de Salgado, Welwitsch, 2443 ! in wet places by the Cataract of Condo 

 (de Estefania), Welwitsch, 2443b ! 



This is very similar to E. Buchananii, Ruhlaiid, but the heads are not so globose, 

 being more or less flattened at the base, and the sepals of the feoTale flowers have a 

 rather long acutely acuminate point, whilst in JF. Buchananii the point of the sepals 

 is very short and never very acute. 



19. E. fulvum, N. E. Br. Stemless. Leaves numerous, in a 

 radical rosette, 1^-2 in. long, l^-lj lin. broad, linear, tapering to an 

 obtuse point, flat, many-nerved, glabrous. Peduncles numerous, 2|-4 

 in. long, subterete, 5-striate in the dried state, glabrous, their sheaths 

 about 1 in. long, acute, rather loose, glabrous. Heads not quite 2 lin. 

 in diam.j semiglobose, perhaps globose with age, monwcious, bufi- 

 coloured, glabrous. Involucral-bracts not quite 1 lin. long, J lin. broad 

 at the apex, obovate, very obtuse, concave at the apex, spreading. 

 Flowering-bracts like the involucral-bracts, but rather smaller, all bufi- 

 coloured, glabrous. Receptacle pilose. Female flowers in several 

 exterior series, very shortly pedicellate. Sepals 3, very unequal, J lin. 

 long, buft-coloured, glabrous ; two lateral obliquely obtriangular, tapering 

 towards the base, deeply hooded, somewhat gibbous-keeled and about 

 ^ lin. broad near the apex; ventral sepal about /^ lin. broad, linear, 

 obtuse, rather membranous. Petals unequal, one about | lin. long, 

 I lin. broad, cuneate-oblanceolate, notched at the apex, the other two 



