Euphorbia. ] €XXII. EUPHORBIACE& (BROWN). 55d 
This is readily distinguished from EZ. Schimpert, Presl, by the scarcely diverging 
branches and much longer rays of the umbel. Several perfectly distinct species 
bearing a superficial resemblance to one another have also been mistaken for 
E. Schimperi, which does not seem to occur in Africa. Possibly the plant collected in 
East Shoa by Rosen and named £. Schimperi by Pax in Engl. Jahrb. xxxix. 631, 
may belong here. I have not seen it. 
101. E. Merkeri, V. Z. Br. A shrub or tree (2), with woody (or 
perhaps somewhat succulent when young) branches, Jeafless and spineless. 
Branches of the specimens seen up to a foot or more long and nearly 
straight, with few or no branchlets, terete, up to 2 lin. thick, marked 
with scattered alternate leaf-scars, glabrous, green, becoming dark 
greyish with age. Leaves not seen, evidently very soon deciduous, 
Umbels terminal, 1} in. in diam., of 3-5 simple glabrous rays 2-3 lin. 
long, each bearing 1 involucre sessile between a pair of thin orbicular 
or orbicular-obovate bracts 1-1} lin. in diam., broadest near the apex, 
minutely apiculate. Involucre about 2 lin. in diam., cup-shaped, glabrous, 
with 4 (in male involucres perhaps 5) glands and 5 subquadrate or trans- 
verse toothed lobes ; glands 1-1 } lin. in their greater diam., transversely 
oblong to suborbicular. -Ovary obtusely 3-angled, far exserted on a 
pedicel 2 lin. or more long, glabrous ; styles 3 lin. long, very shortly united 
at the base, then widely spreading, rather stout, bifid at the apex. 
Mozamb. Distr. (ierman East Africa: between Ngaruka and Lake Natron, 
Merker, 580 ! Sonjo Sale, Merker, 581! east of Moriro, Uhlig, 292! 
102, E. consobrina, V. #. Br. A much-branched shrub, almost 
Woody, but perhaps with a somewhat succulent bark, leafless except 
on the very young branchlets, spineless, glabrous, perhaps glaucous. 
Branches numerous, alternate, diverging, simple or forked, ers lin. 
thick, terete, with prominent leaf-scars. Leaves sessile, 13-3 lin. long, 
‘near-lanceolate, acute, somewhat fleshy, spreading, soon deciduous. 
mbel terminal with a whorl of leaves at its base, of 3 or fewer simple 
rays 13-5 lin, long, each bearing 1 involucre with a pair of elliptic or 
elliptic-oblong obtuse apiculate bracts 1} lin. long at its base. Involucres 
13-2 lin. in diam., broadly and shallowly cup-shaped, glabrous, with 4 
glands and 5 subquadrate subentire slightly ciliate lobes ; glands about 
lin. in their greater diam., transversely elliptic or suborbicular, 
yellowish (¢); ovary glabrous, exserted on a pedicel 14-14 lin. long and 
eurved to one side; styles nearly 1 lin. long, shortly united at the base, 
“scending, with bitid tips. Capsule and seeds not seen. 
Nile Land. Nubia: Erkowit Mountain, Schweinfurth, 265! Wady Teeke,. 
Ween Suakin and Berber, Schweinfurth, 207 ! 
_ The more slender and more woody branches, which in some cases seem almost 
“pie ‘tipped, and the more compactly and very differently branched habit, readily 
distinguish this from its allies. It bears very little resemblance to H. Schimperi, 
esl, under which name it has been distributed by German botanists. Schwein- 
farth, 924, from the Soturba Mountains, may also belong to this species, but is in an 
immature state, the secondary or pedunculate involucres being in a very rudimentary 
Condition at the base of the primary involucre of the umbel. 
bet 
