Page:Journal of botany, British and foreign, Volume 34 (1896).djvu/72

 52 NEW AFRICAN PLANTS. This plant has rather large undivided leaves, and a dense spicate raceme of flowers. It belongs to the section Resedastrum, and is allied to R. Aucheri Boiss. and R. atriplicifolia J. Gay. It is easily distinguishable from U. oWjomeroides, a plant recently described by Dr. Schinz, from Somaliland {Bull. Herb. Boiss. iii. 397 (1895) ). R. amblyocarpa Fres., another species recorded from the same country, has much narrower leaves. Ochrademis somalensis Baker fil., sp. n. Frutex ; rami virgati, ramuli spinescentes pubescentes ramulorum cortice pallido. Folia subcoriacea oblanceolata, apice obtusa ad basin attenuata sessilia vel subsessiUa glauco-viridia nunc subsolitaria nunc rosulatim disposita, ^-^ poll, longa, circiter 1 lin. lata. Flores ignoti in racemos dispositi, racemis evidenter 10-23-floris. Pe- dunculi fructigeri circiter 1 lin. longi, pabescentes. Capsula sub- carnosa divaricatim tridentata, circiter | poll, longa, 2|-8 lin. lata, 16-18-sperma. Hab. Somaliland, Shebeli Eiver, Dr. Donaldson Smith. Col- lected when in fruit, Aug. 1894. Allied to Ochradenus Aucheri Boiss., from Arabia, which (Ft. Orient, i. 422) has been placed in the genus Homalodiscus. A copiously branched shrub, the branchlets terminating in spines ; both branches and branchlets have a pale cortex. Leaves oblanceolate, pubescent, glaucous green, occasionally subsolitary, more often in rosettes on the sides of the branches and branchlets ; leaves ^-^ in. long ; margin entire ; apex obtuse, gradually nar- rowing to the base. Flowers not present, evidently borne in racemes. Capsule shortly peduncled, orange-yellow, the three persistent stigmas being divaricate, subcarnose, not membranous, as in Homalodiscus 16-18-seeded. Seeds shining, reddish or brownisli black, about f line long. Crotalaria minima Baker fil., sp. n. Annua. Caulis erectus ramosus circiter l-pedalis, ramulis pilis albidis appresse obtectis. Folia parvissima 3-foliolata, foliola oblanceolata prsecipue subtus pilis albidis appresse obtecta, petiolis foliolis brevioribus. Stipulse breves lineari-subulatse. Flores inter minores generis brevipeduncu- lati, axillares solitarii. Bracteae parvse lanceolatae. Pedunculi una cum sepalis appresse albidi. Sepala lanceolata acuminata. Vexillum ovatum quam vexillum Crotalarice Jamesii angustius, circiter 2^ lin. longum. Carina acutiuscula. Ovarium sessile. Legumen late ellipsoideum circiter 3^ lin. longum, pedicello recurvo, circ. 7-spermum. Hab. Galla Highlands, Ginia, Dr. Donaldson Smith. In flower and fruit, Nov. 1894. Apparently an annual, with an erect much branching stem and slender root. Leaves quite small, covered with appressed white hairs, 3-foliolate ; leaflets oblanceolate, about 2 lines long ; petiole generally about 1 line long ; leaflets sessile or very shortly petiolu- late at the end of the petiole. Flowers small, axillary, solitary, borne on a short recurved peduncle (about 1 line long), when dry of a yellow colour. Sepals lanceolate, acuminate. Standard ovate, 2^ lines long, not nearly so broad as in Crotalaria Jamesii (see