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MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN 



[VW. 8, No. 5 



Anisopappus africanus has provided a convenient dustbin for doubtful speci- 

 mens in this genus, including the present new species. While certainly a very 

 close relative of A. africanus, A. iodotrichus is readily separable by the presence 

 of violet-coloured hairs on the peduncles, stems and petioles; though varying in 

 density, they seem always to be numerous, and retain their violet colour in a way 

 most gratifying and convenient to the herbarium botanist. Besides these useful 

 hairs, there is the pappus: in A. africanus it is comparatively well developed, 

 of scales about 0.5-1 mm. long, varying in length on the same achene, while in 

 A. iodotrichus it is very short, of scales of approximately equal length (about 

 0.15-0.3 mm.).. A third contrasting character is to be seen in the scales of the 

 receptacle. In A. africanus these are acute but the midrib is prolonged into only 

 a short point, the shortly erose-denticulate margins of the scale being continued 

 almost to the apex. The midrib of the scales of A. iodotrichus is prolonged into 

 a pungent point about 0.5-1 mm. long, smooth and subulate, the margin ceasing 

 well below the apex. When the heads are young the ends of the receptacle-scales 

 project beyond the flowers, giving a bristly pincushion effect to the disc, which I 

 have not seen in A, africanus. I should add that many specimens from East Africa 

 labelled A. africanus which may be thought to obscure the differences given here 

 are not in my opinion either A. iodotrichus or A. africanus. 



In the Kew Herbarium there is a second (poor) sheet of A. iodotrichus bearing 

 the number Stolz 235; the date, however, on the label is Sept. 2, 1910. This sheet 

 has the following economic note (translated): "the leaves are powdered, put in 

 hot water, and then placed on wounds." 



Anisopappus flexuosus (Hutch.) Brenan, comb. nov. 



Sphacophyllum flexuosum Hutch. Kew Bull. 1906: 249. 1906. 



Mlanje District: Mlanje Mountain; Luchenya Plateau, common in secondary 

 forest, shrub 3-4 m. high, tall, sparingly branched, leaves viscid, flowers yellow, 

 just beginning to open, 1880 m., July 8, 1946, 16738; ibid., frequent in secondary 

 forest, shrub 2-3 m. high, viscid, flowers yellow, conspicuous, 18 90 m., July 10, 

 1946, 16745; ibid., frequent on edges of primary forest, shrub 2 m. high, flowers 

 yellow, showy, 1890 m., July 15, 1946, 16842. Endemic to Mlanje District. 



For the union of Sphacophyllum and Anisopappus see Humbert, Composees de 

 Madagascar 240 (1923) and also G. Taylor, Jour. Bot. 71: 165 (1933), opinions 

 with which I agree. 



Anisopappus flexuosus is a very close relative of another Nyasaland endemic, 

 Anisopappus kirkii (Oliv.) Brenan, comb. nov. {Sphacophyllum kirkii Oliv. Hook. 

 Ic. PI. pi. 1451. 1884) which differs in its much more condensed inflorescence 

 and in 'the reduction in size of the leaf. Whether these differences are something 

 more than the effects of exposure remains to be finally settled. 



Anisopappus tenerus (S* Moore) Brenan, comb. nov. 



Sphacophyllum tenerum S. Moore, Jour. Linn. Soc. Bot. 47: 274. 1925. 



Zomba District: Zomba Plateau, scattered over an exposed rocky summit, an- 

 nual herb 20 cm. high, flowers yellow, rays none, 1820 m., May 31, 1946, 16130. 

 Endemic to Nyasaland. 



Wedelia sp. 



Cholo District: Cholo Mountain, occasional in rain-forest regrowths, herb 1.5 

 m. high, flowers yellow, 1200 m., Sept. 19, 1946, 17650. 

 Fruiting specimens are wanted for precise identification. 



