1954] 



PLANTS COLLECTED IN NYASALAND 



93 



Mlanje District: Mlanje Mountain; southwest ridge, gregarious in dense dark 

 green beds in boggy bottom of a stream, 20-30 cm. high, flowers yellow, 2120 m., 

 June 28, 1946, 16517; Luchenya Plateau, common locally on seepage slopes in 

 grasslands, herb 20-25 cm. high, flowers yellow, I960 m., July 16, 1946, 16849. 

 Nyasaland (Mlanje) and Portuguese East Africa (Mamuli). 



COMMELINACEAE 



Commelina benghalensis L. Sp. PI. 41. 1753; C. B. Clarke in Thiselton-Dyer, Fl. 

 Trop. Afr. 8: 41. 1901. 

 Commelina rufociliata C. B. Clarke in Thiselton-Dyer, Fl. Trop. Afr. 8: 54. 1901. 



Cholo District: Cholo Mountain, frequent in rain-forest regrowths, ascending 

 herb 50-80 cm. high, flowers blue, 1200 m., Sept. 25, 1946, 17798. Tropics of 

 the Old World. 



Brass 17798 would doubtless come under the var. hirsuta C. B. Clarke in DC. 

 Monogr. Phan. 3: 160 (1881); in Thiselton-Dyer, Fl. Trop. Afr. 8: 42 (1901); but 

 at present I consider it better to look upon this variety as coming within the 

 normal range of variation of C. benghalensis, thus not recognising it as a distinct 

 named entity. 



I have examined capsules from both of the type-gatherings of C. rufociliata, 

 including a capsule seen by Clarke, and both showed a third dorsal cell devel- 

 oped, thus bringing C. rufociliata into sect. Eu-Commelina, not in sect. Disseco- 

 carpus which was where Clarke placed his C. rufociliata. I cannot help suspect- 

 ing that if Clarke did see a capsule without a dorsal cell, then the lack was 

 accidental. C. rufociliata is otherwise indistinguishable from C. benghalensis 

 var. hirsuta. 



Commelina neurophylla C. B. Clarke in Thiselton-Dyer, Fl. Trop. Afr. 8: 53. 1901. 



Zomba District: Zomba Plateau, occasional in Brachystegia woodlands, per- 

 ennial herb, 2 upper petals blue, others greenish and much reduced, 1430 m., 

 May 30, 1946, 16099*. Nyasaland and S. Rhodesia (Norlindh, Bot. Notiser 1948: 

 21. 1948). 



Aneilema aequinoctiale (Beauv.) Kunth, Enum. 4: 72. 1843; C. B. Clarke in 

 Thiselton-Dyer, Fl. Trop. Afr. 8: 65. 1901. 

 Commelina equinoctialis Beauv. Fl. d'Oware & Benin 1: 65. pi. 38. 1809 (anno falso 

 1806). 



Kota-kota District: Nchisi Mountain, on edges of rain-forest, herb scrambling 

 to a height of 2.5 m., flowers yellow, one fruiting specimen collected, 1500 m., 

 July 28, 1946, 17005. Cholo District: Cholo Mountain, frequent in rain-forest re- 

 growths, herb about 1 m. high, habit ascending to subscandent, flowers yellow, 

 1200 m., Sept. 21, 1946, 17723. Widespread in tropical Africa, southwards to 

 Natal and Pondoland, and, according to Clarke, occurring in Arabia. 



Aneilema dispermum Brenan, Kew Bull. 1952: 198. 1952. 



Cholo District: Cholo Mountain, gregarious in rain-forest openings, about 1 

 m. high, habit ascending, flowers very pale pink, 1200 m., Sept. 23, 1946, 17763. 

 British Cameroons, Tanganyika Territory, and Nyasaland. 



Floscopa rivularis (A. Ricri.) C. B. Clarke in DC. Monogr. Phan. 3: 267. 1881; in 

 Thiselton-Dyer, Fl. Trop. Afr. 8: 86. 1901. 

 Aneilema rivularis A. Rich. Tent. Fl. Abyss. 2: 342. 1850-1851. 



Zomba District: Zomba Plateau, plentiful in bogs, herb 30-50 cm. high, plant 

 fleshy, branches ascending, leaves scabrous, flowers purple, 1770 m., May 31, 



