A denoclineae of South Africa . 383 
South Africa which are referred to this widened genus (1. c., iii. 158-60), 
Baillon followed Sonder almost too closely, for under M. capensis he still 
included the two species of Leidesia , while under M. triandra he repeated 
Sonder’s misapprehension as regards M. tenella. While properly adopting 
Kunze’s name, M. violaefolia , in place of E. Meyer’s name, M. tricocca , 
Baillon has attributed the former name to E. Meyer; under M.bupleuroides 
he has quoted M. annua , Drege, which is really M. violaefolia . His treat- 
ment of the species in the Adenocline section, as we shall find when dealing 
with that genus, is even more unsatisfactory. 
The treatment of the sections was, after all, only an amplification of 
that proposed by Endlicher (Gen. PL, mi) in 1840. Endlicher’s Mer- 
curialis , which included M. alternifolia , Lamk. {— Micrococca Mercurialis , 
Benth.), was subdivided into a Linozostis, with leaves opposite and capsules 
2-coccous = the true Mercurialis , Linn. ; and /3 Trismegista , with leaves 
alternate and capsules 3-coccous = Micrococca , Benth. In enumerating the 
South African species, Baillon placed in Linozostis only M. annua , Linn. 
In Trismegista Baillon placed two species: (1) M. capensis , which, while it 
is not a Linozastis because its leaves are mostly alternate, is not a Trisme- 
gista because its capsules are 2-coccous; and (2) M. violaefolia , which, 
although it has 3-coccous capsules, cannot be a Trismegista because its 
male calyx-lobes are imbricate and its styles are 2-partite. To Endlicher’s 
two sections Baillon added a section Adenocline , with 3-coccous capsules, 
divided styles, and imbricate calyx-segments, a section Seidelia , with 
2- coccous capsules and cruciately 4-valved anthers, and, lastly, a section 
Erythrococca with, as was then erroneously believed, indehiscent fruits. All 
of these sections are natural groups ; they are, indeed, valid genera. The 
only one of the five in respect of which Baillon, in dealing with the Cape 
species, was at fault is his Trismegista , which in the first place does not 
include any species really belonging to that section as limited by Endlicher, 
and, further, is a mixture of two genera, Leidesia and Adenocline . In 
the synoptic summary which follows his general paper (Adansonia, iii. 175), 
Baillon departed from this arrangement to the extent of reducing Adenoclme 
as a whole to Trismegista , an unfortunate afterthought, seeing that Adeno- 
clme is not a member of the group Mercurialineae, and does not belong to 
the sub-tribe Acalypheae or Dysopsideae. Notwithstanding its imperfections, 
Baillon’s treatment supplies the basis for a review of the situation. The 
number of South African forms referable to Mercurialis , as extended by 
Baillon in 1862, was known to be twelve. One of them is M. annua , Linn., 
which calls only for mention in passing ; it is a true Mercurialis , but it is 
only an alien weed at the Cape. Four of the others agree with Mercurialis 
proper in having 2-coccous capsules, simple styles, and a valvately partite 
male calyx ; the remaining seven differ from Mercurialis proper in having 
3- coccous capsules, 2-partite styles, and a quincuncially imbricate male calyx. 
