1954] 



PLANTS COLLECTED IN NYASALAND 



31 



Folia caulina plerumque 1-1.5 mm. lata, late linearia, mediana et superiora 

 breviuscula, plerumque 4-8 mm. longa [saepe longiora in speciminibus nyasensi- 

 bus; formae angustifoliae (circ. 1 mm.) tanganyikenses et kenienses a var. 

 whyteana foliis brevioribus distinguendae]. 



Zomba District: Zomba Plateau, on an exposed rock in open grasslands, woody 

 herb, branches weak, ascending from a thick woody stock, leaves more or less 

 fleshy, flowers purple, 1750 m., May 31, 1946, 16116. North Nyasa District: Nyika 

 Plateau, abundant on disturbed ground in grasslands, herb 20 cm. high, branches 

 radiating and ascending, flowers pale purple, 2400 m., Aug. 18, 1946, 17315. 



S. thomsoni var. thomsoni has the widest area of any of the three varieties 

 recognised here, being found in Kenya, Tanganyika, and Nyasaland. Kenya is 

 also the most northerly extension of the genus. 



The var. thomsoni grades into var. caerulea in one direction and into var. 

 whyteana in the other, so that the varieties are not very clear-cut. In northern 

 Tanganyika Territory and Kenya particularly, narrow-leaved forms of var. thomsoni 

 occur with leaves about 1 mm. wide; these may be separated from var. whyteana 

 by their shortness of their leaves. In Nyasaland the upper and median cauline 

 leaves of var. thomsoni tend to be longer than further north, but the narrow-leaved 

 forms seem absent. 



lc. Selago thomsoni Rolfe var. whyteana (Rolfe) Brenan, comb. nov. 

 Selago whyteana Rolfe, Trans. Linn. Soc. II. Bot. 4: 35. 1894. 

 Selago milanjiensis Rolfe, Trans. Linn. Soc. II. Bot. 4: 35. 1894. 



Folia caulina 0.25-1 mm. lata, filiformia usque anguste linearia, mediana et 

 superiora plerumque longiuscula, ultra 8 mm. longa. 



Mlanje District: Likubula Gorge, frequent in woodlands, shrub about 50 cm. 

 to 1.5 m. high, flowers purple, about 1200 m., June 21, 1946, Vernay 16390. 

 Mlanje Mountain; Luchenya Plateau, frequent in open grasslands, attractive bushy 

 shrub 30-50 cm. high, flowers pink, I860 m., June 26, 1946, 16444; ibid., one 

 example in grassland, shrub 30 cm. high, flowers white, 1890 m., July 12, 1946, 

 16807*. 



This variety is apparently restricted to the region of Mlanje Mountain. Vernay 

 16390 is an extreme with remarkably filiform leaves, perhaps due to its habitat. 

 The type-specimen of Selago milanjiensis has been mislaid, and is the only one 

 that I have not seen and dissected. I have therefore referred it here from descrip- 

 tion only. 



The fljral characters of all the species that I have referred to 5". thomsoni in 

 a wide sense are remarkably constant, within narrow limits. The calyx varies in 

 length from 1-2 mm., usually about 1.5 mm.; the corolla-tube is (1.3-) 1.5-2 mm. 

 (rarely to 2.5 mm.), and the longest corolla-lobe varies from 1.3-2 mm. long. 



Among the South African species the nearest relative to 5". thomsoni is per- 

 haps S. nelsoni Rolfe. 



[2a. Selago thyrsoidea Bak. var. thyrsoidea. 



Selago thyrsoidea Bak. Kew Bull. 1898: 159. 1898. 



Caules vel rami laterales primarii subsimplices sine ramulis numerosis 

 lateralibus brevibus foliatis. Nodi conferti, 2-3 mm. inter se distantes. Folia 

 dense disposita, plerumque circiter 1-1.6 cm. longa. Calyx plerumque ultra me- 

 dium divisus. Lobus maximus corollae circiter 3 mm. longus. 



Nyasaland only (Nyika Plateau, Whyte 144, type of the species; Panda Peak, 

 1830 m., Sept. 1902, McClounie 189).] 



