228 MR. G. BENTHAM OX EUPHORBIACE^. 



as a genus, and natural if left within the limits assigned to it by 

 Mueller and, I believe, all botanists except Baillon ; the species, 

 however, are very much confused and often difficult to distin- 

 guish. And 9. Speranskiy a single North- Chinese herbaceous 

 species, with the habit of a Croton, but united by Mueller with 

 Argithamnia, from which it appears to me to differ as much in 

 character as in habit and geographical position. 



Subtribe 4. Adrtane^. I have here collected five genera, 

 rather upon technical grounds than upon any very evident natural 

 affinities ; but their separation rendered the distribution of the 

 great mass of apetalous Crotonese rather less complicated. They 

 have the terminal centripetal spikes or racemes of Eucrotonese, 

 either simple or very rarely branched at the base, but are always 

 without petals. The calyx and styles are often those of Acaly- 

 phese, from which they differ chiefly in inflorescence. 1. Mani- 

 hot, an American genus, chiefly Brazilian, of which about 80 

 species have been distinguished, stands alone with its large 

 coloured calyx, shortly toothed or imbricately lobed, and a 

 peculiar habit. It was once united with Jatropha, but has really 

 few characters in common with that genus, except sometimes a 

 resemblance in foliage ; and I am not aware of any other genus 

 to which it can be said to be nearly allied. The other four 

 genera have the male calyx of Acalypheae, globose and closed in 

 the bud and valvately splitting as the flower expands. 2. Adri- 

 ana, 5 Australian species, regarded by Eerd. Mueller as varieties 

 of one, and 3. P achy stroma, a single Brazilian species, are both 

 well-marked genera, without the rudimentary pistil in the male 

 flower, which is well developed in the remaining two genera. 



4. Cephalocroton, 2 African species, and with a peculiar habit and 

 remarkable for the twice bent filaments, with other characters, 

 which tempt one to consider it as an apetalous section of Croton. 



5. Adenochlcsna, three East-Indian species, two of which are 

 united in the t Prodromus ' with Cephalocroton, but they appear 

 to me to be strict congeners of Symphyllium, a name, however, 

 which must give way to the older one Adenochlcena. The genus 

 thus differs from Cephalocroton in habit as well as in the uniseriate 

 stamens with erect filaments. The three species would be : — A. 

 zeylanica, Thw., from Ceylon ; A. indica, Bedd., from the Peninsula; 

 and A. Silhetensis (Symphyllium Silhetense, Baill.) from Silhet. 



Subtribe 5. Acalyphe^:. A series of nearly forty apetalous 



