372 xcn. scrophulariace,e (hemsley and skan). [Alectra.. 



straight, stiff, simple or with a few erect branches, 6-18 in. high.. 

 Leaves sessile, rather thick, almost erect and pressed against the stem, 

 |— f in. long ; the lower broadly ovate, opposite, lowermost gradually 

 smaller downwards, almost orbicular ; the upper lanceolate, alternate ; 

 all, except the lowermost, coarsely toothed (teeth in the dried state 

 hooked in the upper ones), acute, rounded or cuneate at the base, 

 mostly longer than the internodes, 3-5-nervecl ; nerves prominent 

 below. Bracts sometimes shorter than the flowers, with about three 

 long hooked teeth on each side, ciliolate. Bracteoles subulate, hooked, 

 nearly as long as the calyx. Flowers few, very shortly pedicellate, \- J 

 in. long. Calyx glabrous except the ciliolate margin, \-\ in. long,, 

 almost equally 5-lobed ; lobes about as long as the tube, hooked, ciliolate. 

 Corolla considerably longer than the calyx; lobes rounded. Stamens 

 very unequal ; filaments of the longer ones bearded ; anther-cells apicu- 

 late. — Melasma sessiliftorum, Hiern in Cat. Afr. PI. Welw. i. 767, and 

 in Dyer, Fl. Cap. iv. ii. 375. M. indicum, Engl. & Gilg in Baum,. 

 Kunene-Samb. Exp. 364, but not Alectra indica, Benth. 



Lower Guinea. Angola: Huilla ; at the base of Morro de Lopollo, Welwitsch,. 

 5802 ! Kampuluve stream, Baum, 738 ! Kubango River, between Kavanga and 

 Kalolo, Baum, 424 ! 



XVXozamb. Dist. British Central Africa : Nyasaland; top of Mount Zomba, 

 Buchanan, 293 ! 



Also widely spread in South Africa. Welwitseh's 5801 may also belong to this 

 species, but it has spreading leaves, and the specimen is too young for satisfactory 

 determination, but as the corolla is described as galeate-bilabiate it may belong to a 

 different genus, perhaps to Bartsia. Melasma indicum, var. monticolum, Engl.. 

 {Jahru. xxx. 402) is probably a variety of Alectra melampyroides. 



21. A. communis, Hemsl. An erect, pubescent, slightly hispid 

 herb. Stem rather stout, 1-2 ft. high, with numerous short, slender 

 branches from about the middle. Leaves narrowed into a short petiole, 

 opposite, except in the inflorescence, spreading, rather thick, lanceolate, 

 oblong-lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, usually l-lj (occasionally 2) in. 

 long, scarcely acute, coarsely and distantly toothed, teeth thickened at 

 the tips, 3-nerved nearly to the tip. Flowers usually very numerous, 

 crowded, shortly pedicellate. Bracts leaf-like, usually much longer 

 than the flowers. Bracteoles almost filiform, setulose, somewhat shorter 

 than the calyx or equalling it. Calyx setulose, outer ribs and margin 

 broadly campanulate, 10-ribbed, net-veined ; lobes triangular, acumi- 

 nate, longer than the tube. Corolla little longer than the calyx. 

 Stamens unequal ; filaments of the longer ones bearded ; anther-cells 

 slightly unequal, apiculate. 



Upper Guinea. Liberia : Kaka town, Whyte ! 



Wiie Land. Uganda: Mawokota, Broivn, 191 ! Kavirondo, Whyte! 



IVKozamb. Sistr. British Central Africa: Xyasaland; Masuku and Tan- 

 ganyika Plateau, Whyte ! Mount Chiradzulu, Whyte ! Shire Highlands, Buchanan,. 

 151 ! Manganja hills, Kirk / and without exact locality, Buchanan ! 



Under favourable conditions this is a robust plant probably three or four feet 

 high. Buchanan describes it as a " large bush." In herbaria it has been confused 

 with A. melampyroides, Benth. 



