98 XXVI. ERiocAULACEvE. [Eriocauloii 



scantily grassed places with species of Lythracepe between Lombe and 

 Candumba. In fl. and immature fr. end of March 1857. No. 2441. 



Var. pygmaeum Rendle. 



A dwarf congested form with almost glabi'ous receptacle. 



HuiLLA. — Flower-heads subfuscous within, whitish outside. Widely 

 csespitose in damp sandy fields which in the previous year had been 

 planted with Sorghum and Penicillariu. Near Lopollo ; April and 

 May 1860. No. 2444. 



4. E. ciliisepalum Rendle sp. nov. 



Small ; glabrous ; stem suppressed ; leaves shorter than the 

 scapes, linear-tapering, acute, flaccid ; scapes several to each 

 plant, filiform, erect or spreading, compressed triangular in cross 

 section, sheath rather shoit, thinly membranous, united below the 

 oblique mouth, blunt ; flower-heads hemispherical when young 

 becoming globose with a truncate base, disc black, involucre 

 whitish, monoecious, flowers trimerous, the outer female, the 

 inner male, receptacle oblong, hairy ; involucral bracts elliptic to 

 elliptic-ovate, blunt or subacute, glabrous ; floral bracts ovate or 

 elliptical to oblong-lanceolate, sometimes narrowly rhomboid, 

 apex acute, glabrous ; female flowers sessile, sepals very concave, 

 lanceolate, acute, with sparsely ciliate margins ; internode 

 between sepals and petals very short, petals narrowly linear, 

 acute ; ovary trigastrous, style dividing a little above the base 

 into three arms which overtop the petals ; male flowers shortly 

 stalked, sepals united into a glabrous funnel-shaped tube open on 

 one side, with irregularly dentate, sometimes bifid or trifid apex ; 

 petals rudimentary, triangular-ovate with a small blackish gland 

 below the apex ; stamens 6, anthers blackish ; pistil represented 

 by three minute blackish glands. 



Plants cfespitose, ~ to Ij in. high, leaves not exceeding 8 lines 

 long by i line broad above the base ; scapes generally between 1 

 and 1 in., sheath ^ in. or less. Flower-heads ^- to li lines across; 

 involucral bracts |- by ~ line ; floral bracts f to }r by j- to i line ; 

 .sej^als of female flower f line by ^ line across the back, petals ^- 

 line long. Pedicel of male flower -Jjy line, pedestal between calyx 

 a,nd petals scarcely ^ line. 



Near E. ahyssinicum Hochst. but distinguished by its hairy 

 receptacle and the ciliate sepals of the female flower. 



HriLr>A. — In damp fields formerly planted with Zea Maijs ; very 

 plentiful but only met with in very few places ; near Lopollo at 5000 

 feet elevation ; May 1860. No. 2445. On mucous-boggy slopes at 

 Morro de Lopollo, below the old fortress ; end of May 1860. No. 2445^. 



5. E. sp. 



Perhaps a new species near E. ahyssinicum, distinguished by 

 its much broader triangular-subulate, fenestrate leaves. Flower- 

 heads with whitish involucre and blackish discs ; flowei's trimerous 

 but too young for more certain determination. 



HuiLLA. — In lofty short-grassed pastures flooded in the rainy 

 season at Morro de Lopollo, growing with small XyrifJeoi and 

 C'ypemceie but not plentiful. March and April 1860. No. 2451. 



