MR. G. BENTHAM ON EUPHORBIACE^. 241 



it appears to me to be a strict congener of Stomatocalyx, sepa- 

 rated by Mueller into a distinct subtribe on account of a more 

 evident vacuum between the stamens in the centre of the male 

 flower — a difference, if it exists, of very little importance. 4. 

 Senefeldera y 4 Brazilian species forming a genus as distinct 

 in inflorescence as in floral characters. 5. Trisyngyne, 2 New- 

 Caledonian species very imperfectly known, and possibly not 

 belonging to the order — but if really Euphorbiaceae, probably 

 referable to this group. 



The second group includes fifteen genera : — 1. Omphalea, con- 

 tains eight species, of which seven are from tropical America and 

 the eighth, although strictly congener, is from Madagascar. 

 They are woody climbers with a fleshy columnar style, like Mabea 

 (approaching Plukenetieas), but very different from that genus in 

 the peculiar stamens, the habit, and inflorescence. 2. Ophthal- 

 moblapton, three or four Brazilian species, well defined both in 

 habit and character. 3. Hippomane, a well-known West-Indian 

 poisonous tree, quite distinct in habit and character, and spread 

 over the sea-coasts of the neighbouring continent as well as of 

 the islands themselves. Next follows a series of eleven genera 

 united by Baillon under the name of Exccecaria, and certainly 

 very nearly allied to each other, but mostly distinguished by 

 characters of sufficient importance to allow of their separate 

 adoption, although sometimes with limits somewhat different from 

 those assigned to them in the ' Prodromus.' 4. Maprounea, a genus 

 of two tropical American and one African species, most marked 

 not only by their habit and peculiar inflorescence, but by the seeds, 

 which have a broad flat or depressed surface immediately under 

 the large fleshy strophiola, which has not been observed in any 

 other Euphorbiacese. 5. Stillingia (including Gymnostillingia 

 distinguished in the t Prodromus ' by the greater reduction or 

 deficiency of the female perianth) is a fairly marked genus of about 

 thirteen species, of which two are from Madagascar, one from 

 the Pacific islands, and the remainder American, extending from 

 South Brazil and Chile to the United States. They are certainly 

 very near to Sapium ; but the peculiar character pointed out by 

 Mueller is constant : the cocci on falling away leave no central 

 columella ; but a portion of the base of the pericarp consolidated 

 with the receptacle hardens and persists with it in the shape of 

 three spreading points or horns. The S. heterodoxy Muell. Arg., 

 cannot well be a congener ; the habit and inflorescence are quite 



