088 CXXII. EUPHORBIACE& (BROWN). | Euphorbia. 
167. E. abyssinica, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. ed. 13, ii. (vii.) 759. A 
large tree, with leafless spiny succulent branches. Young unbranched 
plants 6 in. in diam., 8-angled, becoming branched and cylindric and 
woody with age; main branches whorled, frequently 8-angled, with 
alteruate branchlets all curved-ascending, forming a large obconie 
flat-topped crown; branchlets with numerous constrictions, forming 
broad rounded scollops to the wing-like angles; margin of the scollops 
apparently even, Spines in groups of 5, ‘four on the sides and one 
in the centre, scarce half an inch long, fragile and of no resistance, 
but exceedingly sharp and pointed” (Bruce), but in the figure re- 
presented as being in pairs and widely diverging. Cymes crowded 
at the top of the branchlets. Involucres with 5 transversely elliptic 
yellow glands. Capsule with a distinct fleshy 3-lobed calyx at its base, 
exserted on a stout pedicel, 3-angled, glabrous, at first green, becoming 
deep crimson streaked with white, apparently with thick woody cell- 
walls. Seeds globuse.—Raeuschel, Nomencl. Bot. ed. 1797, 139. Kol- 
quall, Bruce, Travels, v.41, with 2 plates. 2. officinarum, var. Kolquall, 
Willd. Sp. Pl. ii, 884. 
Nile Land. Eritrea: on Taranta Mountain, Bruce. 
In books and gardens several species have been mistaken for E. abyssinica, B 
but none of them agree with Bruce’s description of the plant from Taranta Mountain, 
upon which the species was founded. Unfortunately Bruce’s description does not 
accord (us to the spines) with his figures, but it is quite possible, that the 
latter was not made from the Taranta plant, since it is very evident that he 
confused other speci:s with it, as may be seen from his remark: “ As we went 
west, the tree turned poor, the branches were few, seldom above 2 or 3 ribs or 
divisions, and these not deeply indeuted, whereas those of Taranta hid frequently 
eight.” So that until good specimens of the plant are obtained from Taranta 
Mountain, which no subsequent collector seems to have visited, no accurate descr 
of the plant can be given. Bruce states that “the only use the Ab) ssinians make 0 
this is for tanning hides, at least for taking off the first hair.” 
Gmel., 
168. E. controversa, V./. Br. A tree, succulent, leafless, sp!2y- 
Flowering branches 4-angled, 14-34 in. square from angle to angle, 
constricted into lanceolate, ovate, elliptic or suborbicular segments, 
with the central solid part nearly 14 in. square in the only section seen 
and about as thick as the wing-like angles are broad ; angles about f in. 
thick at the even (not sinuate-toothed) margins. Spine-shields men 
but sometimes crowded. Spines (sometimes rudimentary or aheonye = 
flowering branches) }-2 lin. long, stout, rigid, in pairs 4—9 lin. pease 
very diverging, dark brown, on triangular-obovate horny shields 2-8 eee 
long and broad, shortly decurrent and obtusely ronnded below thoem 
sometimes, together with the flowering-eyes, crowded into a conte 
series, but not really united into a continuous horny margin oe 
angles. Flowering-eyes rather large, touching the spine-shields. hase 
crowded, 2-3 from each flowering-eye, on peduncles 1-1} lin. long, ene 
with 3 involucres. Bracts 2-24 lin. long, suborbicular, concave, a in 
on the back, toothed on the margin. Involucres sessile, 3-4 oan" 
diam., cup-shaped, with 5-6 glands and 5-6 subrectangular ine 
lobes; glands 14-21 lin. in their greatest diam., transverse, sesagiit si 
