Euphorbia. | CXXII, EUPHORBIACEE (BROWN). 543: 
is a very variable plant, the typical form and var. minor being quite different in 
appearance, but after closely examining and dissecting the specimens I can find no 
absolute distinction besides that of size and number of leaves, the glands of the 
involucre are very variable, sometimes on the same specimen. I believe var. minor 
to be merely a weakened condition of the plant, consisting of the secondary growth 
which springs up after the burningof the vegetation of the open country, as is often 
demonstrated by the presence of the charred remains of taller and stouter stems on 
the specimens, E. zambesiana, Benth., and EH. depauperata, Hochst., vary in a 
similar manner from the same cause. 
78. E. polyantha, Pax in Engl. Jahrb. xliii. 87 A woody shrub 
3-4 ft. high. Branches alternate, glabrous or minutely puberulous 
when young. Leaves alternate, thin in texture, 4-11 lin. long, 2-5 
lin. broad, cuneately obovate or oblanceolate, rounded to subacute at 
the apex, tapering from above the middle into the short petiole,. 
glabrous on both sides or with a thin excessively minute pubescence 
beneath. Stipules reduced to minute glands. Inflorescence terminal, 
at first consisting of 1 sessile involucre and 3 radiating buds on peduncles 
13-24 lin. long, which develop into 3 small forked cymes forming an umbel 
about 1 in. in diam., with a whorl of 3 leaves at the base and a pair of 
elliptic bracts 1-2 lin. long at the forks. Involucres 1}-1} lin. in 
diam., cup-shaped, with 5 glands and 5 broadly rounded fringed lobes, 
glabrous outside ; glands about $ lin. in their greater diam., transversely 
oblong, peltate, slightly convex, entire. Ovary shortly exserted, erect, 
glabrous ; styles about ? lin. long, united for ? of their length, with 
ascending bifid tips. Capsule and seeds not seen. 
Nile Land. British East Africa: Taru district, Scott-Elliot, 6172! Mbuyuni, 
Scott-Elliot, 6224! a very common shrub below 3000 ft., Scott-Elliot, 6264! 
Mozamb. Distr. German East Africa: edge of the Rift, Merker, 578! 
Po eee commiphoroides, Dinter, Deutsch Sudw.-Afr. 90. A tree 
6-20 ft. high, with a trunk 4-1 ft. in diam.; bark papery. Ullti- 
mate branches usually widely diverging or making nearly a right 
angle with those they arise from, slender, glabrous, bearing small 
densely leafy branchlets 4-} in. long, arising from the axils of their 
alen primary leaves, Leaves shortly petiolate, 3-10 lin. long, 13-34 
lin. broad, lanceolate, elliptic-oblong, elliptic or orbicular, obtuse, rounded 
se subacute at the apex, rounded or cuneately narrowed into the petiole, 
very minutely puberulous on both sides. Involucre solitary and ter- 
minal on the short leafy branchlets, male or hermaphrodite, subsessile, 
lin. in diam., cup-shaped or obconic, glabrous or very minutely 
puberulous, with 5 glands and 5 broad transverse fringed pubescent 
lobes ; glands about 3 lin. in their greater diam., transversely elliptic, 
entire. Ovary globose-trigonous, minutely puberulous, with a calyx at 
Its base, having 3 deltoid-lanceolate lobes 4-} lin. long and exserted 
on a rather stout minutely puberulous pedicel and curved to one side ; 
styles 1} lin, long, united for half their length, then recurved-spread- 
ing, entire at the apex. Capsule about } in. in diam., much exserted 
On a recurved pedicel, glabrous. Seeds 2 lin. long, tipped with a small 
“aruncle, ellipsoid-oblong, smooth, pale grey with patches of darker grey. 
