1954] 



PLANTS COLLECTED IN NYASALAND 



33 



S. welwitschii as defined here is a most distinct species in its usually ample 

 lax inflorescence built up of small dense heads or spikes, and also in its hairy- 

 leaves, often rather broad.] 



Walafrida E. Mey. sensu Rolfe. 



Selago sect. Macria E. Mey. Comm. PI. Afr. Austr. 268. 18 37; Choisy in DC. Prodr. 



12: 18. 1848; Wettst. in Engl. & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenf. 4 3b : 82. 1891. 

 Walafrida E. Mey. sensu Rolfe in Thiselton-Dyer, Fl. Cap. 5 1 : 116. 1901. 



Calyx (2-) 3-lobed. 



[4a. Walafrida swynnertonii S. Moore var. swynnertonii. 



Walafrida swynnertonii S. Moore, Jour. Linn. Soc. Bot. 40: 165. 1911, sensu stricto. 

 Selago swynnertonii (S. Moore) Eyles, Trans. Roy. Soc. S. Afr. 5: 473. 1916. 



Folia dense scabrido-pubescentia. 



S. Rhodesia only [Swynnerton 2135, Teague 47, Chase 1293 (Govt. Herb. No. 

 24075)1] 



[4b. Walafrida swynnertonii S. Moore var. leiophylla Brenan, var. nov. 

 Folia glabra vel valde sparse pubescentia. 



PORTUGUESE EAST AFRICA: Manica e Sofala Province, Moribane District: 

 Chimanimani Mountains, Moribane, 60 cm. high, flowers pale mauve, 1220 m., 

 Mar. 2, 1907, W. H. Johnson 233 (Herb. Kew). 



S. RHODESIA: Inyanga District: Inyanga, 1830 m., Oct. 20, 1935, F. Eyles 

 8486 (Herb. Kew.). In grassland, perennial with dirty white flowers, Feb. 18, 

 1946, H. Wild 811 (Govt. Herb. No. 14474) (Herb. Kew.). Selborne, occasional in 

 grass-veld, tufted perennial to 30 cm., flowers pink, Jan. 4, 1947, B. S. Fisher 

 1189 (Govt. Herb. No. 16512) (Herb. Kew.). Bideford, Feb. 20, 1946, E. Machell 

 in Govt. Herb. No. 18664 (Herb. Kew.). At roadside, shrub about 30 cm. high, 

 flowers white, Jan. 21, 1948, N. C. Chase 693 (Govt. Herb. No. 20504) (TYPUS 

 varietatis in Herb. Kew.). Troutbeck, in open grassland, small woody shrub, /. 

 M. Rattray 1387 (Govt. Herb. No. 20623) (Herb. Kew.). 



Among the tropical species of Walafrida, W. swynnertonii is readily known 

 by its corymbose inflorescence and very narrow leaves less than 1 mm. wide. 



W. swynnertonii, and especially its var. leiophylla, are apparently most closely 

 related to W. tenuifolia Rolfe in Thiselton-Dyer, Fl. Cap. 5 l : 124 (1901) from the 

 Transvaal and Orange Free State, differing in the ciliate bracts, longer corolla- 

 tube, and smaller fruits.] 



[5. Walafrida angolensis (Rolfe) Rolfe in Thiselton-Dyer, Fl. Cap. 5 1 : 117. 1901. 

 Selago angolensis Rolfe in Thiselton-Dyer, Fl. Trop. Afr. 5: 271. 1900. 

 Walafrida chongweensis Rolfe, Jour. Linn. Soc. Bot. 37: 462. 1906. 

 Selago chongweensis (Rolfe)" Eyles, Trans. Roy. Soc. S. Afr. 5: 473. 1916. 



Angola, N. and probably S. Rhodesia. Walafrida chongweensis to me seems 

 only a robust condition of W. angolensis, with nothing structural to separate it. 

 The rather sparse material of the species suggests that it has creeping rhizomes 

 from which stems or tufts of stems arise, and this is probably anomalous in the 

 genus. In any event it is, as the key indicates, a most distinct and easily named 

 species. The muricate fruits will separate it from all but W. goetzei, which in 

 facies alone is widely different.] 



[6a. Walafrida goetzei (Rolfe) Brenan, comb. nov. var. goetzei. 

 Selago goetzei Rolfe in Engl. Bot. Jahrb. 30: 402. 1901. 



Cauies et rami principales inflorescentiae pilis laxis valde flexuosis plus 

 minusve deflexis vestiti, pilis diametrum ramorum plerumque adaequantibus vel 

 superantibus. 



