ME HIERN, ON EBENACE^E. 85 



7. ROYENA FALLENS, Thunb. Prodr. Fl. Capens., pars prior, p. 80 (1794). 



R. foliis anguste obovato-ellipticis, apice plerumque obtusis, basi in petiolum brevem 

 angustatis, coriaceis ; Jloribus hermaphroditis, plerumque pentameris; pedunculis plerumque 

 unifloris flore longioribus; calyce o-partito ; stylo 3 5-fido ; ovario 6 IQ-loculari. 



Alph. DC. Prodr. vnr. p. 213. n. 13 (1844) ; non Willd. Hb. ! n. 8363. 



R. Ursula, Jacq. Collect. V. p. 110. t. 13. f. 1 (1796), et Fragm. bot. t. 1. f. 2 (1800 

 1809), non Linn, nee Eckl. nee Sieb. 



Diospyros lycioides, Desf. in Annal. Mus. vi. p. 448. t. 62. f. 1 (An. xiu 1805). 



R. pubescens, Willd. Hort. BeroL p. 457 (1809), Bot. Reg. t. 500 (1820), Alph. DC. I. c. n. 12. 



R. lycioides, (Desf.) Cat. Hort. Paris ex Poir. in Encycl. Me'th. Suppl. IV. p. 435 (1816), 

 Alph. DC. I. c. p. 214. n. 17. 



R. decidua, Burch. Trav. Int. S. Air. I. p. 317 (1822). 



R. cuneata, Speng. Syst. Vegetab. ir. p. 360 (1825), non Poir. . 



R. brachiata, E. Mey. Cat. PL Exsicc. Afr. Austr. Dr g. p. 7 (1837), Alph. DC. I c. p. 213. n. 10. 



R. cuneifolia, E. Mey. Cat. PI. Exsicc. Afr. Austr. Dreg. p. 7 (1837), Alph. DC. 1. c. p. 214. n. 16. 



R. ramulosa, E. Mey. ex Alph. DC. Prodr. vm. p. 212. n. 6 (1844). 



R. sericea, Bernh. in Flora 1844, p. 824. 



R, oleifolia, Desf. MSS. (1824) ex Gay MSS. in Herb. 



R. hispidula, Harv. MSS. 



A shrub or small tree, ranging up to 15 feet in height. Bark reddish brown. Branches 

 silky-pubescent or often glabrescent, pale or cinereous. 



Leaves more or less narrowly obovate-elliptical, obtuse or rarely acute at apex, narrowed at 

 base into short petiole, silky especially beneath or glabrate, coriaceous, evergreen, \ 2 in. long 

 by \ f in. wide ; petioles ^ \ in. long. 



Peduncles f \ in. long, longer than the flowers, usually considerably so, 1- (rarely 2-) 

 flowered, arching, bearing 2 3 narrow bracts about or above the middle. Flowers white or 

 yellowish, hermaphrodite, pentamerous (or rarely tetramerous), \ f in. long. 



Calyx partite ; lobes ovate or lanceolate, acute, hirsute, accrescent, in fruit spreading or 

 reflexed. 



Corolla deeply lobed, hairy outside ; lobes lanceolate, acuminate. 



Stamens (9 ) 10, about half the length of the flower ; anthers hirsute. 



Style 3 5-fid, hairy; stigmas punctiform, glabrous. Ovary 6-, 8-, 10-celled, hairy. 



Fruit subglobose or ovoid, pubescent or rarely glabrate, J 1 in. in diameter, sometimes 

 bursting in a valvate manner. Albumen of seeds not ruminated. 



Reaches 5000 feet in Natal, 2500 at Graaf Reinet. Flowers in Sept., Oct. and Nov., Jan. Feb. 



Grows at margins of woods, &c. 



In South Africa on the banks of the Gariep it is called by the natives Zwartebast (black- 

 wood). Cape of Good Hope, Kalihari region and Natal; also in West tropical Africa. 



Drege !; Peddie ! Natal ; Col. Bolton ! Grahamstown ; T. Williamson ! Albany ; Alexan- 

 der!; Ecklon and Zeyher ! 1127; Burchell! 7451, 1750, 2371, 2930, 3301, 3325, 3396. 3472, 

 3789, 4184, 4501, 5490, 5529, 5632, 6490, 6813; Dr Zeyher ! 3348, 3353, 3354; Burke! Great 



