92 CXXII, EUPHORBIACE (BROWN). | Luphorbia. 
qo 
174. E. tenebrosa, V. /. Br. Arborescent, 20-30 ft. high, spiny, 
with or without small foliage-leaves. Branches erect, subparallel, 
probably forming an obconic crown, fleshy, usually 4- (sometimes 5-) 
angled, constricted into subparallel-sided segments 6-15 in. long, 2-45 
in. square, dark sap-green, without any bluish or glaucous tint on the 
young parts; angles Wing-like, }-} in. thick at the edge, straight or 
wavy, with distinctly crenate-dentate margins and marked on the sides 
with very prominent oblique ribs ascending from the centre to the 
spine-shields, when young separated by broad triangular channels 1-1} 
in. deep, with age growing out into flat faces. Leaves sometimes 
rudimentary and scale-like, 14-2 lin. long, broadly deltoid, acute; 
sometimes growing out into cuneate-obovate or more or less spathulate 
foliage-leaves 3-1} in. (or more ?) long,}—2 in. broad at the top, obtuse to 
emarginate with an apiculus in the notch at the apex, tapering toa 
sessile base, acutely keeled on the midrib beneath, glabrous on both 
sides, deciduous, with small persistent rigidly horny dark brown auricle- 
like stipules at their base. Spines 1-2 lin. long, in pairs 3-1} in. 
apart, diverging, slightly deflexed, very dark brown, on small, some- 
what obcordate horny shields 2 lin. Jong, 24-3 lin. broad, blackish- 
brown, with the leaf-scar paler. Flowering-eyes sunk in the depressions 
between the teeth 2-3 lin. above the spine-shields and quite separate 
from them, surrounded or covered by minute blackish-brown scales. 
Flowers and fruit not seen. 
Tropical Africa. Country unknown. Described from a living plant long 
cultivated at Kew! 
This is another of the plants cultivated in gardens as HE. abyssinica. 
175. E. confertiflora, Volkens in Notizbl. Konigl. Bot. Gart. 
Berlin, ii. 266. A leafless spiny succulent bush up to 3 ft. high. 
Branches 4-angled; angles wing-like, ? in. broad, cuneate 1n transverse 
section. Spines 24 lin. long, in pairs about 5 lin. apart, diverging, 0” 
shields which taper to an acute point below. Involucres 3 together, 
crowded, sessile, about } in. in diam., shortly and broadly funne 
shaped, with 5 glands and 5 fringed lobes; glands contiguous, — 
1} lin. in their greater diam., transversely oblong, with slightly merry 
euds, punctate. Ovary sessile, with a minute 4-toothed calyx a + 
base; style-branches forked at the upper third.—Pax in Engl. Jahrb. 
xxxiv. 74; Berger, Sukk. Kuphorb. 61. 
Mozamb. Distr. (German South-west Africa: 
partly, ex Volkens. 
Usambara, Holst, 8821, 
176. E. disclusa, V. #. Br. Arborescent, 15-30 (or: ore ’) if 
high, leafless, spiny. Branches erect, subp»rallel, probably ae ‘aie 
obconic crown, fleshy, usually 4- (sometimes 5-) angled, constrieis 4 in. 
slightly conical or nearly parallel-sided segments G—-15 in. long, 4~ the 
square, thicker with age, light and somewhat bluish-green nee or 
young parts; angles wing-like, }-} in. thick at the edge, eae 
wavy, with even or very faintly sinuate-toothed margins, whee Yad 
separated by broad triangular channels 3-1} in. deep, with age groW''s 
