SesamothamnusJ] xcvn. pedaline.4; (staff). 567 



11. SESAMOTHAMNUS, Welw. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. 

 PI. ii. 1058. 



Calyx small, 5-partite, oblique. Corolla-tube very long, cylindrical,, 

 gently curved, with the back produced at the base into an often long 

 slender spur ; limb spreading, large, obscurely bilabiate ; lobes 5, sub- 

 orbicular, subequal. Stamens i, subdidynamous, almost equal, inserted 

 above the middle of the corolla-tube ; posticous filaments shorter than 

 the anticous or ; anthers linear-oblong, parallel, dorsifixed. Disc 

 fused with the base of the ovary, oblique and posticousiy gibbous. 

 Ovary 2 -celled ; cells divided nearly to the apex by a spurious septum ; 

 ovules many, 1 -seriate in each division. Fruit an oblong rigid capsule, 

 laterally (at right angles to the septum) compressed, loculicidal from 

 the apex to the base. Seeds numerous, flat, transversely oblong, 

 winged. — Shrubs with a short swollen bole, from which spring 

 numerous erect stiff grey branches, or a small tree, armed with spread- 

 ing spines (modified leaves). Foliage leaves in fascicles on arrested 

 branchlets in the axils of the spines, deciduous. Flowers large, white 

 or pale pink, in terminal and subterminal few-flowered short racemes. 

 Species 5, endemic. 

 Inner corolla-lobes long and densely fringed . . 1. S. bnsseanns. 



Corolla-lobes not fringed. 



Spur up to 2-|- lin. long . . . . . . 2. <S'. Lugardii. 



Spur 1-lf in. long. 



Corolla-tube glabrous apart from the mucilage 

 glaDds. 

 Posticous anthers sessile . . . . 3. S. bengvellensis. 



Posticous filaments 3 lin. long . . . . 4. S. Smithii. 



Corolla-tube long, hairy in the upper part . . 5. 8. Erlangeri. 



1. S. busseanus, Engl. Jahrb. xxxii. 114. A small tree or shrub 

 12-15 ft. high, leafless when in flower. Branches ascending, covered 

 with grey bark, pale ferruginous when quite young ; spines spreading, 

 5-6 lin. long, up to 2\ lin. thick at the base. Flowers on short greyish 

 hairy branchlets, which bear 1 small lateral spine on each side at the 

 base ; pedicels 2^-3 lin. long. Calyx 1^ lin. long ; segments triangular, 

 acute, the posticous smaller, narrower and deflexed. Corolla white 

 tube cylindric to beyond the middle then funnel-shaped, If in. long, If 

 lin. wide ; spur very slender, 2£-2f in. long, £ lin. thick ; limb almost 

 2 in. across ; segments orbicular-ovate, the 1 inner fringed, 9-10 lin. 

 in diam. (without the fringes) ; fringes very much dichotomously 

 divided with a linear stalk or claw, exceeding the diameter of the lobes 

 in length ; outermost lobes slightly smaller, naked. Filaments almost 

 entirely adnate to the corolla-tube ; anthers 3 lin. long. Capsule elliptic, 

 apiculate, '2\ in. long, 10 lin. broad, sparingly hairy, dark brown. 

 Seeds obovate or subreniform, 3-3 J lin. long ; wings up to 2h lin. broad. 

 Mozamb. Dist. German East Africa : Sa'.anda, south of Lake Victoria, Fischer, 

 454 ; Ugogo ; near Ipala, Busse, 222. 



