106 MR HIERN, ON EBENACE^E. 



and leaf-like, caducous ; flowers racemose, with divisions of corolla reaching to level of apices 

 of calycine lobes. 



<J . Eacemes f | in. in length, shorter than leaves, lax, bearing 5 7 flowers ; pedicels 

 -J^ \ in. in length, slender ; flowers -^ in. in length. Calyx openly cup-shaped, 4-fid, short ; 

 lobes deltoid, acute. Corolla hemispherical, 4-lobed, somewhat glandular outside; lobes oval, 

 more than half the depth of the corolla. Stamens 10 15, mostly in pairs, inserted at base 

 of interior of tube of corolla; anthers oblong, mucronate, with a few bristles near apex, 

 dehiscing widely from apex; filaments slender. 



9 . Racemes | J in. in length, nearly erect in flower, drooping in fruit, bearing 3 8 

 flowers ; pedicels under ^ in. in length ; narrow bracteoles sometimes present on middle of 

 pedicels. Flowers ^j in. in length. Calyx short, campanulate, 4-lobed, lobes deltoid, extending 

 less than half-way down the calyx. Corolla 4-partite, erect or spreading, in bud cylindrical, 

 somewhat glandular outside along middle of lobes; lobes oval. Stamens 0. Ovary and 2 

 styles together rather longer than corolla; styles as long as ovary, at first erect and conti- 

 guous, glabrous, bifid at apex, deciduous ; ovary somewhat hairy at base, hairs white, glabrous 

 above, 2 4-celled, 4-ovuled ; ovules oblong. Berry globular, -^ 1 in. in diameter, purple or 

 red, glabrous, edible, 1 2-celled, ultimately only 1-celled, 1-seeded. 



Bark whitish grey rough, wood brown hard close-grained and fit for joiners' fancy-work, 

 veneering, &c. (Dr Pappe, Silva Capensis, p. 21 [1854]). 



Var. /3. myrtina. Leaves ^ ^ in. wide, oblanceolate, nearly plane ; fruit black ; about 

 4 ft. high. Known only in fruit, but probably a form of this species. (E. myrtina, Burch.) 



The fruit is sweet, with some astringency; called, as well as other species of the genus, 

 c/uarribosches, and the fruit guarri, by the Hottentots in South Africa. 



Cape of Good Hope, Kalahari region and Trans- Vaal. Dr'ege !; Eeeves !; Dr Pappe !; 

 Burke! (Trans- Vaal) ; Masson!; Alexander-Prior!; Dr Thorn! 243, 386; Cooper! 408; Mac 

 Owan!; Zeyher! 3358; Ecklon and Zeyher! 1124 (E. humilis, Eckl. et Zeyh.); Burcliell! 

 1792 (2162, 2573, E. myrtina, Burch., Kalahari Region), 2943, 3168, 7198. 



EXCLUDED SPECIES OF EUCLEA. 



Eudea herbacea, Lour. Fl. Cochinch. p. 629 (1790). Cfr. Euphorbiaceas. 

 Euclea pilosa, Lour. loc. cit. = Diospyros pilosa, Alph. DC. 



III. MABA, J. R. et G. Forster, Characteres Generum Plantarum, p. 121. t. 61 (1776). 



Flares diced, rarissime monceci vel polygami, plerumque trimeri rarius 4 Q-meri. Calyx 

 campanulatus vel oblongus, non plicatus, lobatus vel truncatus ; corolla campanulata vel tubulosa, 

 lobis in prcefloratione sinistrorse contortis. 



Flos masculus ; stamina 3 oo , plerumque glabra rarius pilosa vel pubescentia. Ovarium 

 abortivum. 



Flos femineus ; staminodia oo , plerumque pauca; ovarium 3- vel G-loculare, 6-ovulatum; 

 fructus plerumque mediocris, baccatus. 



Arbores vel frutices, foliis alternis integerrimis, inflorescentia axillari vel rarius laterali. 



Alph. DC. Prodr. vm. p. 240. n. vn. (1844). 



