200 ME HIERN, ON EBENACE^E. 



S . Flowers solitary, on short peduncles, ^ in. high ; fulvo-velutinous ; calyx 4 5-lobed, 

 | in. long ; with lanceolate erect lobes -^ ^ in. deep, hairy on both sides ; corolla trun- 

 cately conical, with 5 (or 4 ?) very short spreading obtuse lobes, glabrous inside ; staminodes 

 8, inserted at base of corolla and 1 on receptacle (in flower examined), glabrous; ovary 

 fulvous-velutinous, globular, 4-celled with 2 styles hairy at base ; cells 1-ovuled ; stigmas 

 glabrous, lobed; young fruit fulvo-velutinous, with calyx-lobes appressed or erect; pulp of 

 fruit good when made into a cake. 



Africa, Zambesia, above Tette, common. Dr Kirk I 



66. DIOSPTROS VELUTINA, sp. nov. 



D. foliis alternis, ovalibus vel dblongis, coriaceis, subtus fulvo-velutinis interdum putescen- 

 tibus et pellucido-punctatis, petiolatis; floribus masculis ternis, breviter cymosis, 3 4-mm's, 

 ferrugineo-hirsutis ; calyce campanulato, 3 4<-fido, loibis obtusis, cor olid tubulosd, 3 4s-lobd, 

 staminibus 12, glabris, incequalibus ; floribus fenrineis solitariis breviter pedunculatis, calyce 

 3 5-lobo, corolld 4<-lobd, ovario dense fulvo-sericeo, subgloboso, 8-loculari; stylis 4; fructibus 

 globosis, albumine non ruminato. 



A dioecious shrub about 6 feet high or small tree ; shoots, leaves especially on the 

 under-side, and inflorescence ferruginous-velutinous ; branches glabrescent, terete,* shining, 

 spreading at about 60. Leaves oval or oblong, somewhat narrowed (sometimes acutely), obtuse, 

 rounded or even cordate at either or both ends, coriaceous, shining and comparatively gla- 

 brescent above with (in some specimens) more or less depressed veins, densely ferruginous- 

 velutinous beneath, or in some specimens becoming less hairy and then with small pellucid 

 dots, alternate, 1J 6 in. long by | 2J in. wide ; petioles ^ J in. long, ferruginous-velutin- 

 ous. Inflorescence short, axillary, ferruginous-velutinous ; bracts narrow, caducous. 



<J . Flowers usually 3 together, on peduncles ^j -fo in. long, trimerous or the central 

 ones tetramerous, about | in. long ; calyx in. long, ferruginous-velutinous outside, glabrous 

 inside, 3- or 4-fid, with obtuse lobes ; corolla ferruginous-sericeous, 3- or 4- lobed, tubular, 

 nearly Jin. long, lobes | ^ in. deep, oval, glabrous inside, spreading; stamens 12, glabrous, 

 some in pairs, unequal in the pairs, the inner ones the shorter ; filaments short, anthers 

 linear-oblong; ovary ferrugineous-hairy, rudimentary. 



?. Flowers and peduncles solitary, ferruginous, hairy; peduncles ^in. long; flowers 

 in. long ; calyx T 3 ^ in. long by in. wide, 3 5-lobed ; lobes \ in. deep by J in. wide, fer- 

 ruginous-tomentose on both sides, rounded or deltoid, cordate at base, with undulating sides, 

 often emarginate at apex, with central boss inside near base; corolla shortly tubular with 4 

 short acute spreading lobes ; staminodes 2 (in one case), glabrous ; ovary densely fulvo- 

 sericeous, subglobose, 8-celled, with a short neck terminated by 4 styles ; cells 1-ovuled ; 

 stigmas emarginate. Fruit globose, shining, pale, glabrate, except at the apex, about 5-celled 

 and 5-seeded, pulpy, \ f in. thick ; seeds about f in. long, enveloped in pulp considered 

 by Mr Miers, in Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. ii. vol. vm. p. 164 (1851), to be of the nature of 

 an aril, not however in the dried state suggesting such an origin ; fruiting calyx 3 4- 

 lobed, spreading, tomentose, -fa f in. across ; lobes more or less emarginate, especially in the 

 trimerous ones ; albumen horny, not ruminated, but (in some specimens) obscurely striate 

 in a radiating manner. 



