1954] 



PLANTS COLLECTED IN NYAS ALAND 



459 



Vernonia holstii 0. Hoffm. Bot. Jahrb. 20: 220. 1894. 



Mlanje District: Likubula Gorge, frequent on rocky banks of river, shrub 1.5-2 

 m. high, weak, open branching habit, flowers very pale pink, 840 m., June 20, 

 1946, 16382. Kenya, Tanganyika Territory, Nyasaland, and S. Rhodesia. 



Capitula a little smaller than usual; possibly varietally distinct, but not more. 



Vernonia bainesii Oliv. & Hiern in Otiv. Fl. Trop. Afr. 3: 272. 1877. 



Kota-kota District: Nchisi Mountain, common among rocks in Brachystegia 

 woodland, two plants found in flower, perennial herb 80-100 cm. high, several 

 stems erect from a stout taproot, flowers lavender, 1500 m., July 26, 1946, 16961, 

 S. Rhodesia, and now new to Nyasaland. 



Brass 16961 is a form with the phyllaries more acute than in other specimens 

 I have seen. 



Vernonia petersii Oliv. & Hiern ex Oliv. Trans. Linn. Soc. 29: 90. 1873. 



Zomba District: Zomba Plateau, on rocky open slopes, herb 40-50 cm. high, 

 flowers purple, 1500 m., June 2, 1946, 16146; ibid., frequent in Brachystegia 

 woodlands, perennial herb 40-70 cm. high, flowers purple, 1500 m., June 6, 1946, 

 16274. Blantyre District: Blantyre, in Brachystegia woodlands, herb 20 cm. high, 

 leaves purplish, flowers purple, 1100 m., June 17, 1946, 16339. Portuguese East 

 Africa, Nyasaland, N. and S. Rhodesia, Angola. 



I do not see that V. karongensis Bak. Kew Bull. 1898: 147 (1898) differs spe- 

 cifically from petersii, and the latter is here taken in a wide sense. 



Vernonia poskeana Vatke & Hildebr. Oesterr. Bot. Zeitschr. 1875: 324. 1875. 



Zomba District: Zomba Plateau, common in Brachystegia woodlands espe- 

 cially on roadsides, annual herb 30~80 cm. high, flowers rich dark purple, showy, 

 1430 m., May 30, 1946, 16090. Kota-kota District: Nchisi, sporadic in Brachy- 

 stegia woodland, herb 80-100 cm. high, flowers dark purple, 1350 m., Aug. 1, 

 1946, 17087. Tanganyika Territory, southward to the Transvaal. 



Vernonia chloropappa Bak. Kew Bull. 1898: 146. 1898. 



North Nyasa District: Nyika Plateau, Nchena-chena Spur, occasional in 

 Brachystegia woodlands, 70-80 cm. high, flowers pink, pappus of fruit green, 

 1400 m., Aug. 20, 1946, 27368. Nyasaland, N. Rhodesia. 



Vernonia nestor S. Moore, Jour. Linn. Soc. Bot. 35: 317. 1902. 



Kota-kota District: Nchisi Mountain, sporadic in Brachystegia woodland, per- 

 ennial herb 50-70 cm. high, flowers dark purple, pappus of fruit white, 1400 m., 

 July 24, 1946, 16894. From Tanganyika Territory to N. Rhodesia and Nyasaland 

 in the east, extending westward to Nigeria. 



Vernonia natalensis Schultz-Bip. ex Walp. Repert. 2: 947. 1843. 



Mlanje District: Mlanje Mountain; Chambe Plateau, pathways in grasslands, 

 herb 40 cm. high, flowers purple, 1950 m., July 9, 1946, 16764. Tanganyika Ter- 

 ritory to South Africa. 



Vernonia cistifolia O. Hoffm. in Engl. Pflanzenw. Ost-Afr. C: 404. 1895. 



Zomba District: Zomba Plateau, in open grasslands, 3 plants seen, perennial 

 herb 60-90 cm. high, erect from a thick woody stock, stoloniferous, leaves grey 

 beneath, flowers purple, 1320 m., May 31, 1946, 16122. Tanganyika Territory to 

 So Rhodesia and Portuguese East Africa. 



Brass 16122 is, as usual, the var. rosea O. Hoffm., I.e., with purple flowers. 

 V. hothrioclinoid.es C. H. Wright, Kew Bull. 1906:108 (1906), which was origi- 

 nally described from Nyasaland, was said by Wright to be akin to V. karaguensis 

 Oliv. & Hiern ex Oliv.; to me that seems wrong. V. hothrioc lino ides is in my 

 opinion merely a variant of V. cistifolia with phyllaries more strongly reflexed 



