1954] 



PLANTS COLLECTED IN NY AS ALAND 



13 



NYASALAND: North Nyasa District: Nyika Plateau; Nchena-chena, frequent 

 in Brachystegia woodland, herb 40-80 cm. high, flowers pale purple, 1340 m., 

 Aug. 21, 1946, 17371 (TYPUS in Herb. Kew.). 



N. RHODESIA: Ndola District: Bwana Mkubwa, on sand, 1370 m., July, 1909, 

 Rev. F. A. Rogers 8382 (Herb. Kew.). Mufulira, in open forest, inflorescence 

 mauve, May 20, 1934, Eyles 8308 (Herb. Kew.). 3 miles E. of Mufulira, in Brachy- 

 stegia woodland, "laterite" area, stem erect, slender, bracts and calyx green, 

 underside of petals pale mauve, inside darker mauve, 1220 m., June 13, 1948, 

 A. W. Cruse 371. Mkushi District: Chiwefwe, flowers deep mauve, 1340 m., July 

 14, 1930, /. Hutchinson & J. B. Gillett 3660 (pro parte, cum B. randii S. Moore 

 mixta; Herb. Kew.). 



This new species belongs to an apparently natural group within Buchnera 

 that is not clearly separated in the Flora of tropical Africa, characterised by 

 dense capitate or shortly oblong spikes which are glabrous or sparingly pubes- 

 cent, small linear to narrowly lanceolate leaves, broad bracts, calyx-teeth nor- 

 mally four, rarely with a small fifth one, and short capsules up to about 3 mm. 

 long. The genus Eylesia S. Moore is also to be included here. 



The following key to the species involved may be useful: 



Corolla-tube hairy outside. 



Cauline leaves linear, up to 1.5 mm. wide, tapering to a long, subulate, 

 curled or twisted tip; calyx-teeth to % as long as the tube; plant 

 much branched. B. angolensis Engl. 



Cauline leaves oblong to narrowly lanceolate, 2-3 (-5) mm. wide, very 

 rarely narrower, the apex acute but not long-tapering. 

 Bracts rhombic-ovate, acute, sharply keeled above, 5 mm. long; calyx- 

 teeth less than half as long as the tube; corolla-tube about 7 mm. 

 long. B. ensifolia Engl. 



Bracts obtriangular-cuspidate, not keeled, 3.5 mm. long; calyx-teeth 

 much longer than the tube; corolla-tube about 5-5.5 mm. long. 



B. peduncularis Brenan. 

 Corolla-tube glabrous outside; leaves linear, less than 2 mm. wide. 



Anticous calyx-teeth very short, about 0.7 5 mm., %— % as long as the 

 tube; bracts small, ovate, acute, incrassate, about 2.5 X 2.25 mm.; 

 corolla-lobes about 2 mm. long. B. strictis sima Engl. & Gilg. 



Anticous calyx-teeth much longer, 1.5-2 mm. long, about half as long 

 as the tube. 



Larger corolla-lobes 3-6 mm. long; bracts ovate, about 1.5 mm. wide; 



calyx about 4 mm. long. B. ciliolata Engl. 



Larger corolla-lobes 1-2 mm. long. 



Bracts ovate, about 2 mm. wide; leaves spreading; calyx 3 mm. long; 



larger corolla-lobes 1.6-2 mm. long. B, buchneroides Brenan. 43 



Bracts narrowed below, abruptly expanded above into a rounded or 

 subreniform mucronate part 3.5-4 mm. wide; leaves ± appressed 

 to the stem; calyx 4 mm. long; larger corolla-lobes 1 mm. long. 



B. bangiveolensis R. E. Fr. 



The above species are remarkably similar to each other in general facies but 

 the inflorescence and the leaves provide valuable characters that seem very con- 

 stant for each species. 



Buchnera crassifolia Engl. Bot. Jahrb. 30: 403. 1901; Hemsl. & Skan in Thiselton- 

 Dyer, Fl. Trop. Afr. 4 a : 385. 1906. 

 North Nyasa District: Nyika Plateau, occasional on edges of forest regrowths, 

 perennial herb 40-60 cm. high, flowers purple, showy, 2340 m., Aug. 12, 1946, 

 17188- ibid., common in open grasslands, perennial herb 30-50 cm. high, roots 



43 Buchnera buchneroides (S. Moore) Brenan, comb, nov 



Eylesia- buchneroides S. Moore, Jour. Bot. 46: 311. 1908; Eyles, Trans. Roy. Soc. S. 

 Afr. 5: 475. 1916; Norlindh, Bot. Not. 1951: 124. 1951. 



