A shrub or small tree, 6–30 ft. high, glabrous or with the young shoots and nerves of the young leaves obsoletely pubescent. Leaves membranous, elliptical or oblong-elliptical, dentate-serrate, especially towards the shortly acuminate extremity, 3–10 in. long, 2–5 in. broad. Petiole 1 1/2–7 in. long, often slightly curved near the top. Stipules subulate, 2–3 lines long, deciduous. Flowers about 1/2– 3/4 in. diam., in loose or interrupted, ascending, axillary racemes, 1–3 in. long. Pedicels slender, 1–6 lines long or flowers subsessile. Sepals 3. Petals 6–10. Anthers muticous; cells often multilocellate. Style subulate, with a minute, almost or quite undivided stigma. Ovary hairy, soon echinate with spreading acute spines. Placentas 2 (or 3), with numerous ovules. Fruit globose, echinate with rather soft spines, 1/3– 1/2 in. diam. (exclusive of the spines), 1-seeded (in Dr. Welwitsch's specimens).
Distribution
Angola Lower Guinea distr. Golungo Alto, and Pungo Andongo, Dr. Welwitsch!Niger Upper Guinea Onitsha, Barter!Upper Guinea Old Calabar river and Camaroons mountain, 2500 ft., Mann!
Notes
This species is strictly referable to Aublet's genus Mayna, the rest of the species of which are tropical American. This genus I have united to Oncoba (vide Journ. Linn. Soc. ix. 172).
