12 MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN [Vol 9, No. 1 



Alectra melampyroides Benth. in DC. Prodr. 10: 339. 1846; HemsL & Skan in 

 Thiselton-Dyer, Fl. Trop. Afr. 4 2 : 371. 1906; non Alectra melampyroides (L. C. 

 Rich.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. 2: 458. 1891. 



Chikwawa District: Lower Mwanza River, one example on sandy beach of 

 river, fleshy herb, flowers yellow, 180 m., Oct. 3, 1946, 17935*; ibid., occasional 

 on sandy beaches, herb 30-50 cm. high, fleshy, flowers yellow, 180 m., Oct. 6, 

 1946, 18004. 



Distribution dubious. In a restricted sense A. sessiliflora is found from Nya- 

 saland to South Africa, and in Madagascar, but I very much doubt whether A. 

 communis Hemsl. and A. arvensis (Benth.) Merr. can be kept separate; if they 

 are not, A. sessiliflora will have a wide distribution both in tropical Africa and 

 Asia. 



Buchnera trilobata Skan in Thiselton-Dyer, Fl. Trop. Afr. 4 2 : 378. 1906. 



North Nyasa District: Nyika Plateau; Nchena-chena Spur, common in grass- 

 lands, herb 30-50 cm. high, flowers pink, 1900 m., Aug. 20, 1946, 17366. En- 

 demic to Nyasaland. 



Buchnera peduncularis Brenan, sp. nov. 



Buchnerae ensifoliae Engl, affinis, bracteis obtriangularibus abrupte cuspi- 

 datis necnon calycis dentibus quam tubo multo longioribus distincta; B. buchne- 

 roidi (S. Moore) Brenan {Eylesia buchneroides S. Moore) et B. bangweolensi 

 R.E.Fr. aspectu approximans, foliis oblongis vel lanceolatis nec linearibus, 

 corollae tubo extra glabro, necnon bractearum forma facile distinguenda. 



Herba erect.a, 20-80 cm. alta, siccitate nigricans, verisimiliter annua. Caulis 

 gracilis, 1-2 mm. diametro, simplex vel sparse ramosus, subteres, ut videtur 

 saepe purpurascens, inferne breviter et inconspicue pubescens, superne glaber. 

 Folia omnia caulina (basilaribus anthesi omnino evanidis) opposita, oblonga vel 

 oblongo-lanceolata, 8-20 mm. longa, (1-) 2-3 (-5) mm. lata, integra, basi sessilia, 

 apice acuta, supra ubique, subtus ad costam marginesque tantum puberula, costa 

 supra impressiuscula, subtus prominula, nervis aliis haud cernendis. In- 

 florescentiae densae, capitatae vel breviter spicatae, plerumque 0.4-1 cm. 

 longae, serius plus minusve elongatae et usque ad 4 cm. longae sed tamen densae, 

 quasi longipedunculatae, caule foliis supremis minimis exceptis nudo 11-32 cm. 

 longo suffultae. Bracteae omnino 3.5 mm. longae, 2.5 mm. latae, obtriangulares 

 et abrupte cuspidatae, cuspide 0.8-1.4 mm. longa acuta, margine ciliolatae 

 necnon glandulosae, aliter glandulis minimis inconspicuis exceptis glabrae vel 

 subglabrae, ut videtur intense purpureae marginibus anguste scariosis necnon 

 areolis duabus centralibus pallidis exceptis. Bracteolae lanceolatae vel lineari- 

 lanceolatae, 2.75-3 mm. longae, 0.7-0.75 mm. latae, textura et indumento ut in 

 bracteis. Calyx 3.5 mm. longus, more bractearum bracteolarumque vestitus, tubo 

 1-1.5 mm. longo, lobis 4 lanceolatis 2-2.5 mm. longis, quibus quinto postico 

 minore 1 mm. longo nonnunquam adjecto. Corolla purpurea, tubo 5-5.5 mm. longo 

 subrecto basi circiter 1.2-1.3 mm. diametro superne sensim angustato extra basi 

 glabro apicem versus necnon intus pubescenti, lobis 5 patentibus 1.4-1.5 mm. 

 longis, 1.2 mm. latis rotundato-ellipticis. Antherae 0.5-0.6 mm. longae, ellipti- 

 cae, obtusae. Ovarium ovoideo-ellipticum, glabrum, 2 mm. longum, 1-1.1 mm. 

 latum. Stylus 0.5 mm. longus, glaber. Stigma 0.5 mm. longum. Capsula ovoideo- 

 subspherica, 2.5-3 mm. longa*, 2.5-2.8 mm. lata, apice minute apiculata, calycem 

 subaequans. Semina minuta, circiter 0.25 mm. longa, angulata, brunneo- 

 nigrescentia, tenuiter lineata. 



BELGIAN CONGO: Haut-Katanga: Elisabethville, 1460 m., Oct. 22, 1911, 

 Rev. F. A. Rogers 10096 (Herb. Kew.); ibid., Kisanga, 1939, Ouarre 4577 (Herb. 

 Kew. ex Herb. Brussels, sub nomine erroneo Buchnera attenuata Skan). 



