214 MK. G. BENTHAM OX EUPH0RBIACEJ2. 



in the two genera where it is most conspicuous, Buxus and Sty- 

 loceras, it does not pervade all the species. The three species in- 

 cluded in Dissiliaria in the ' Flora Australiensis ' may not be all 

 strictly congeners; but they are as yet insufficiently known to 

 supply reliable distinctive characters. 2. Zongetia,a,Ti& 3. Burceaoia, 

 two New-Caledonian genera of two species each. 4. Choriophyl- 

 lum, one species from the Malayan archipelago, described in 

 1 Hooker's ' Icones,' tab. 1280. 5. Toxicodendron, two species from 

 South Africa : one is Thunberg's original one, fully described and 

 figured by Lambert under the name of Hycenanche, with the leaves 

 usually in whorls of three or four ; the other a new one, with oppo- 

 site leaves, recently sent from British CafFraria by Mr. and Mrs. 

 Barber. This last may be thus characterized : — T. acutifolium, 

 Benth., foliis oppositis elliptico-lanceolatis utrinque acutatis sub- 

 dentatis, floribus S simplieiter racemosis. Folia breviter petiolata, 

 3-6 poll, longa, 1-1| poll, lata, coriacea, glabra, lseviuscula, tenuiter 

 pennivenia, venis primariis a margine distanter anastoinosantibus ; 

 flores 6 6-10, in racemum axillarem subpollicarem dispositi, 

 pedicellis oppositis brevibus divaricatis bractea parva sub- 

 tensis. Flores <$ omnino T. capensis, $ ignoti. It does not 

 appear why both Mueller and Baillon have suppressed Thunberg's 

 name for the genus in favour of Lambert's. The name Toxico* 

 dendron had previously been given only by prelinnean botanists 

 to a species of Hhus, and by Graertner to a species of Schnidelia, 

 which from the fruit alone he had failed to recognize. The 6th 

 genus, MiscJiodon, a single Ceylonese species, had been placed by 

 Thwaites among genera with uniovulate cells, until Beddome 

 pointed out the error, showing that in the ovary they are con- 

 stantly 2-ovulate, although, as in many other genera, only one in 

 each cell is fecundated. 



We have next grouped together three genera which may not 

 ultimately prove to have any close natural affinity, but have a 

 foliage remarkably exceptional in Phyllantheae, although in 

 Crotonese it may pass into more ordinary forms. The leaves are 

 digitately compound, w T hereas in all other Phyllantheae they are 

 simple and penniveined. In Crotonese, on the other hand, digitate 

 primary veins are frequent, and in several genera the leaves pass 

 from that into digitately lobed or compound ones. The flowers of 

 the group are apetalous, the inflorescence axillary but loose, the 

 stamens 1-seriate or 2 -seriate, the styles, where known, slender 

 and undivided, the fruit various. The genera are: — 1. Oldjieldia, 



