OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 281 



Resedace^e. The herbarium contains two species of pa? 

 Reseda. The specimens of one of these are too imperfect 

 to be determined. The other is probably undescribed, 

 though very nearly related to R. suffruticulosa, and undata 

 of LiniiEeus. This supposed new species {Reseda proj)inqua) 

 was found near Tripoli by Mr. Ritchie, and between Tripoli 

 and Mourzak by Dr. Oudney. It is remarkable in having 

 the ungues of all the petals simple ; that is, neither dilated, 

 thickened, nor having any process or appendage at the 

 point of union Avith the trifid lamina, into which they gra- 

 dually pass. We have here, therefore, a species of Reseda 

 with petals not different in any respect from those of many 

 other families of plants ; and, although this is an exception 

 to their usual structure in the genus, I shall endeavour to 

 show that all the deviations existing, however complex in 

 appearance, are reducible to this more simple state of the 

 organ. 



RESEDACEiE, Consisting of Beseda, divisible into sec- 

 tions or subgenera, and Ochradeniis, which may perhaps 



obovata cum mucronulo brevissimo, plana, seniiunguicularia, utrinque pube 

 tenuissima brevissima simplioi, nervo obsolete, venis fere inooiispicuis. Petioli 

 lineam circiter longi. Slipiilne laterales, setacese, petioli diniidio breviores, 

 ramulo appressre, post lapsum folii persisteates. Ramuli floriferi ssepius late- 

 rales abbreviati, e foliis confertis floribusque corjmboso-fasciculatis (3 — 6), 

 quorum exteriores folio subtensi; quandoque corymbus ramum terminat. 

 Pedunculi teretes, tenuissime pubesceutes, ebracteati exoepto foliolo florali dum 

 adsit ejusque stipulis vix. conspicuis. Calt/w infundibuliformis, extus tenu- 

 issime pubesoens : tubus subcylindraceus, 8-striatus striis elevatis sequalibus, 

 intus lineis duabus prominulis subcarnosis, cum limbi laciniis alternantibus, 

 altera crassiore : limbus tubo paulo longior, 4-partitus laciniis sequalibus, ovatis 

 acutiusculis, obsolete venosis, 5-nerviis, nervis extimis margini approximatis, 

 e furcatione costarura quatuor tubi cum laciniis aitemantium ortis ; sestivatione 

 simplici serie valvata marginibus tamen paulo inflexis. Corona faucis mono- 

 phjlla, laciniis limbi multoties brevior, lacero-multipartita lacinulis subulatis 

 insequalibus. Stipes genitalium liber, cjlindraceus, glaber, altitudine tubi. 

 Stamina : Mlamenia iudeterminatim numerosa, viginti circiter, filiformia, glabra, 

 sestivatione contortuplicata. Anihera> incurabentes, ovali-oblongse obtusas, basi 

 semibifidae, loculis parallelo-approximatis, intus longitudinaliter dehiscentibus, 

 sestivatione erectse. Ovarium e centro filamentorum stipitatum, cylindraceum, 

 glabrum, uniloeulare placentis duabus parietalibus polyspermis. Stylus nullus. 

 Sticjma depresso-capitatum. 



bus. Species hsecce proxime accedit Meeruse senegalensi noh. qufe vix 

 pubescens et foliis venosis distincta; in multis quoque conveuit, fide descrip- 

 tionis Porskalii, cum Mterua uniflora Vahl, a nobis non visa. Meerua ango- 

 lensis. Be Cand. (in Museo Parisiensi visa), cui tlores pariter corymbosi et 

 corona lacero-multipartita, satis diversa est foliis ovalibus. 



