Page:Journal of botany, British and foreign, Volume 34 (1896).djvu/55

 BRITISH WILLOWS. 89 at 'once by its low-growing habit, long hairy indumentum, and calyx with successively smaller sepals. Merremia Gregorii, sp. n. Suffrutex e rhizomate lignoso late ramoso ; ramulis longis tenuibus supra basin pilosam glabris, volu- bilibus ; foliis glabris petiolatis, lamina psene ad basin 5-fida, segmentis linearibus apice pungentibus interdum insequalibus ; pedunculis petiolis subaequantibus, 1- rarius 2-floris, basin versus fulve-pilosis, bracteis parvis ovatis ; floribus mediocribus, sepalis glabris herbaceis lanceolatis acutis, 2 exterioribus interdum ovatis ; corolla calycem duplo excedentibus, late infundibuliforme, alba (?) lineis mesopetalinis purpureis notata ; filamentis subulatis parte in- feriori breviter pilosis, antheris sub apice contortis, polline globoso inerme ; stigmate biglobulare. Hab. Golbanti, Tana Eiver plains, J. W, Gregory, Feb. 1898. Herb. Mus. Brit. A very distinct species, characterised by its palmate leaves with five very narrow sometimes almost filiform segments. The long slender branches are subcompressed. The very slender petioles (6-8 Hues long) are sometimes sparsely pilose. The slender leaf- segments are IJ in. long, and ^-1 line broad; two of the five are often much shorter than the rest. The calyx is ^ in. long ; the sepals about 2 lines broad. The corolla is 1 in. long, the stamens ^ in. The flowers recall in size and appearance those of M. vmltisecta Hallier, collected by Welwitsch in Angola. The very long peduncles and pinnately divided leaf- segments, as well as its more robust character, at once distinguish the West African species. Convolvulus sagittatus Thunb., var. macroglottis Baker in Fl. Trop. Afr. iv. ined. Hab. Guaso Mairi, Laikipia, J. W. Gregory^ June 23rd, 1893. C. sagittatus is a South African plant, which is represented by varieties in Abyssinia and Eastern Tropical Africa. BRITISH WILLOWS. The third fascicle (Nos. 51-75) of the Set of British- Salices issued by Messrs. Linton will be issued during this month. By the kindness of the compilers we are enabled to extract the following passages, which, we think, will be found of interest, from the sheet of notes which accompanies the specimens : — ♦* S. cuspidata (No. 51) is no doubt planted at Wybunbury in part, but the scattered bushes which occur and the presence of both parents render it probable that the hybrid is native there. 8. aurita x phylicifolia from Forfar and Perthshire seldom exhibits the presence of S. aurita in fair proportion ; we give (No. 59) a sample from Clova, which we have tested for four or five years in cultivation, but are glad that Mr. J. Fingland's kind help has enabled us to show (No. 58) a form in which S. aurita preponderates and 8. phylicifolia is the less conspicuous parent. No. 62 is scarcely