MR HIERN, ON EBENACE^E. 99 



4 5-fidd ; staminibus 16 vel 20, in floribus sub-hermaphroditis circiter 12; ovario hirsute; 

 fructibus globosis, primum pubescentibus, demiim glabris. 



Alph. DC. Prodr. vni. p. 218. n. 13 (1844). 



Celastrus crispus, Thunb. Fl. Cap. edit. ii. vol. II. p. 115 (1820). Cfr. Sond. in Harv. 

 et Sond. Fl. Cap. I. p. 461 (185960). 



K rufescens, E. Mey. Cat. PL Exsicc. Afr. Austr. Dreg, p. 7 (1837). 



Royena rufescens, E. Mey. Cat. PI. Dreg. p. 154 (Flora, 1843). 



A densely leafy shrub pubescent or sometimes glabrescent, 3 7 ft. high ; branches terete, 

 at 50 60". Leaves opposite or alternate, elliptical or narrowly ovate, usually apiculate, acute 

 or obtuse, coriaceous, shortly petiolate, minutely crenulate or quite entire, flat or undulated, 

 1 3 in. long by \ 1 in. wide ; petioles ^5 fa in. long. Eacemes 3 7-flowered, at length 

 drooping, -$5 | in. long ; pedicels ^ $ in. long ; flowers tetramerous or occasionally penta- 

 merous, suh-dicecious or polygamous, pubescent, -fa J in. long. Calyx shortly campanulate ; 

 lobes deltoid. Corolla campanulate, 4 5-fid. Stamens 16 or 20, in subhermaphrodite flowers 

 about 12, hairy; filaments slender, glabrous. Styles 2, glabrous; ovary hirsute, globose or ovoid, 

 (2) 4-celled. 



Fruit globose, black, of the size of a pea, at first pubescent but at length glabrous. 



The flavour of the fruit is pleasant with a little astringency and perfectly wholesome. 



The variety with undulated leaves 20 stamens and less deeply divided corolla (E. ru- 

 fescens) much resembles E. coriacea, Alph. DC. 



Occurs in midland districts of Cape Colony and northwards into the Kalihari region 

 of South Africa. Burchell! 1706, 24872, 24877, 2542, 2920, 30581, 30582, 3102; 

 Drege / 



10. EUCLEA DIVINOEUM, sp. nov. 



E. foliis ellipticis, oppositis, a media utrinque angustatis, obtusis, breviter petiolatis, suprct, 

 glaucescentibus, undulatis; cymis masculis conferto-racemosis vel-paniculatis ; floribus 4 5-meris, 

 dicecis ; corolla profunde 4 5-lobd; staminibus 16. 



Shrub, 'nearly glabrous and somewhat glaucous, with opposite or subopposite leaves and 

 branches; branches terete, making 30 40 with the stem. Leaves elliptical, narrowed more 

 or less from the middle towards both ends especially towards the base into the short petiole, 

 obtuse, coriaceous, glaucescent above, reddish and somewhat farinaceous beneath ; margins 

 undulated; veins inconspicuous; 1 2in. long by |in. wide; petioles about in. long. 

 Bracts small, shorter than the pedicels, caducous. 



Male flowers in crowded racemes or panicles, about 10 or more together, globular in 

 bud, hemispherical when expanded, tetramerous or pentamerous. Cymes not exceeding ^in. 

 long by Jin. broad, usually erect; pedicels about ^in. long, spreading. Calyx ^in. high, 



4 5-fid; lobes small or depresso-deltoid. Corolla deeply 4 5-lobed, with a few whitish 



appressed hairs outside especially along the middle of the lobes, nearly glabrous inside ; lobes 

 rounded. Stamens 16, not in pairs, fain, long, as high as the expanded corolla; anthers 

 oblong, hairy ; filaments shorter, glabrous. Ovary rudimentary, consisting of an ovoid bunch 



of hairs. 



132 



