GNIDIA (pertaining to Gnidus, a town in Crete; a name given by the ancients to the Laurel). ORD. Thymelaceae. A rather large genus (about fifty species are known) of greenhouse evergreen shrubs or under-shrubs; found in the Southern and Eastern tropical parts of Africa. Flowers white or pale yellow, inconspicuous; calyx funnel-shaped, with a regular four-cleft limb. Leaves scattered or opposite. Branches slender. The plants require a moist atmosphere, and a situation close to the glass. In other respects, they should be treated like Pimelea (which see). GNIDIA denudata (shaven). fl. pale yellow. May to July. l. ovate-oblong, imbricated, hairy, with naked nerves. h. 1 1/2ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1820. (B. R. 757.) GNIDIA oppositifolia (opposite-leaved). fl. pale yellow, terminal; scales four. May to July. l. opposite, ovate, tomentose. h. 1ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1783. (B. M. 1902.) GNIDIA pinifolia (Pine-leaved).* fl. creamy-white, very fragrant, disposed in umbellate heads. March and April. l. scattered, three-cornered. h. 1ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1768. (B. M. 2016.) GNIDIA tomentosa (downy). fl. pale yellow, sessile, collected into a sort of fasciculated head at the extremity of the younger shoots, and surrounded by four closely-placed leaves, which form an involucre; tube long and slender, swollen at the base, clothed externally with long, white, rather silky hairs; segments faintly three-nerved. March and April. l. opposite, decussate, more or less spreading, sometimes reflexed, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, very often approaching to oblong or elliptical, sessile, rather obtuse at the point, five-nerved, hairy. h. 3ft. to 4ft. Cape of Good Hope. (B. R. 2761.)