Page:Journal of botany, British and foreign, Volume 34 (1896).djvu/446

 414 DR. DONALDSON SMITH's ACANTHACE^. The narrow triangular-pointed segments are 6 mm. long. The corolla is sparsely pubescent on the outside ; the tube is 2 cm. long by 1-5 cm. broad, and widens abruptly at the mouth. The lobes are 3-5 mm. broad, the longer 6, the shorter 5 mm. long. The filaments are connate at the base, the longer filament of each pair is 2 mm. long, the shorter 1-5 mm. ; the anthers are 1*3 mm. long. The pubescent filiform style is 2 cm. long. The 4-seeded capsule is 13 mm. long. Resembles some forms of D. radicans 0. K. (Calophanes radicans Nees) in habit and foliage, but is distinguished at once by its larger flowers with their long narrow corolla-tube. Ruellia placoidea, sp. nov. Herba minima, ramis tenuibus velut foliis hirsutulis prostratis; foliis parvis ovalibus basi ssepe angustatis, utraque cum squamulis orbicularibus aculeiferis in- structis ; floribus axillaribus ; calyce subsequaliter ad f quinquefida lobis subacutis ; coroUae tubo longo parte inferiore tenue, superiore latiore, lobis rotatis, duobus quam ceteri altius connatis. Hab. Darro Mts., Nov. 11th, 1894. The species is represented by two small prostrate shoots about 5 cm. long and '5-'15 mm. in diameter. They are densely clothed with shore stiff appressed hairs which, except in the upper inter- nodes, spring from the centre of a large pale oval base. Both surfaces of the leaves are covered with similar but rounded placoid scales. The leaves are 8-11 mm. long by 6-7 broad; the blade tapers rapidly at the base into a petiole about 1 mm. long. The shortly hairy calyx is 8 mm. long ; the narrow tube passes into five teeth, 3 mm. long and 1 mm. broad at the base, tapering slightly upwards to the rounded subacute apex. The corolla-tube is 15 mm. long, about f mm. across in the lower half, becoming gradually swollen above to nearly 2 mm. diameter ; the lobes are torn, but two are evidently more deeply connate than the other three, which are 5-6 mm. long by 3-5 mm. broad. The four small stamens are inserted in the swollen part of the corolla-tube ; the filaments are quite distinct, 1*5 mm. long, the blunt anthers 1 mm. The style is slender, with a clavate tip, and 9 mm. long. Apparently near R. somalensis Lindau, from the description in E7igl. Jahrb. xx. 14, but evidently a smaller plant, with smaller subsessile leaves and flowers. The squamiform trichomes are also a distinctive feature. Ruellia patula Jacq. Shebele and Smith Rivers, Sept. 1894. Erratum. — For Justicia (§ Adhatoda) gesnerifolia on p. 398, read Justicia (§ Adhatoda) gesneriflora, Plate 362. — Lindauea speciosa, branch, nat. size. Fig. 1. Diagram of arrangement of calyx and corolla. 2. Side view of flower after removal of corolla, nat. size. 3. Front view of upper portion of larger and smaller stamens, enlarged. 4. Pollen-grain, much enlarged. 5. Fruit ; 6. ditto, cut open — both nat. size. 7. Funicle and unripe seed, enlarged.