NO. 5 NEW EAST AFRICAN PLANTS — STANDLEY I 5 



by no. 1287 from the same locality, and by nos. 1780 and 1797 from 

 the lower border of the bamboo zone, altitude about 2,550 meters. 



SOLANUM HELLERI Standley, sp. nov. 



Frutex, ramis dense et minute stellato-tomentulosis, aculeis 

 numerosis validis compressis recurvatis dense stellato-tomentosis 

 armatis ; folia breviter petiolata, laminis late ovatis, basi rotundatis 

 vel subcordatis, apice acutiusculis usque acuminatis, integris vel 

 undulatis, coriaceis, glabris vel pilis sparsis minutis stellatis onustis, 

 ad costam et supra et subtus aculeis validis fulvis rectis i vel 

 pluribus armatis ; flores solitariae vel geminatae vel laxe cymosae, 

 pedicellatae ; calyx ad basin minute stellato-pubescens, aculeis 

 numerosis armatus, aetate paulo accrescens, lobis ovalibus ; corolla 

 rotata, lobis anguste lanceolato-triangularibus, acuminatis ; f ructus 

 juventute minute stellato-pubescens, mox glabrescens. 



Shrub, the branches spreading, stout, very densely and finely 

 stellate-tomentulose with yellowish white hairs, armed with 

 numerous spines, these very stout, compressed, recurved, densely 

 stellate-tomentulose, 8-13 mm. long, 6-10 mm. broad at the base; 

 petioles stout, 2-5 mm. long ; leaf blades broadly ovate, about 2 cm. 

 long, rounded or subcordate at the base, acutish to acuminate at 

 the apex, entire or undulate, coriaceous, bright green, glabrous or 

 bearing a few remote minute stellate hairs, armed on the midrib 

 on each side with i to several stout straight yellowish spines 

 0.5-1.5 cm. long; flowers solitary or geminate or in slender few- 

 flowered racemose cymes, the pedicels 5-10 mm. long, sometimes 

 armed with spines like those of the stems ; calyx campanulate, 

 6 mm. long, finely stellate-pubescent at the base, armed with numer- 

 ous stout straight spines 4-10 mm. long, slightly accrescent in age 

 and partially inclosing the fruit, the lobes oval, rounded at the 

 apex ; corolla rotate, about 2.5 cm. broad, the lobes narrowly lance- 

 triangular, acuminate, 4 mm. broad at the base, densely and finely 

 stellate-pubescent outside; anthers 7-8 mm. long; fruit (immature) 

 globose, 8 mm. in diameter, finely stellate-pubescent when young, 

 early glabrate. 



Type in the U. S. National Herbarium, no. 634351, collected on 

 the Northern Guaso Nyiro, British East Africa, September 26, 

 191 1, by Edmund Heller. 



The plant is said to be an abundant shrub, forming thickets. It 

 seems to be very dift'erent from the East African species heretofore 

 described. 



