604 CXXII. EUPHORBIACE® (BROWN). | Eleophorbia, 
5. ELAOPHORBIA, Stapf in Hook, Ic. Pl. t. 2823. 
Floral structure exactly as in Euphorbia, from which it only differs 
by its fruit, as follows : Ovary (female flower) without a perianth. Fruit 
fleshy, indehiscent, with a thick flesh enclosing a hard bony 38-celled 
endocarp or “stone,” marked with a slender groove down the back of 
each cell and having a pore at the base and 3 pores near the apex 
between the grooves. Seed solitary in each cell of the “ stone,” some- 
times | or 2 cellsare abortive ; testa thin, crustaceous ; albumen copious, 
somewhat fleshy ; cotyledons flat, thick and fleshy, elliptic, notched at 
the base.—A tree, with succulent angular branches, becoming round 
and woody with age. Leaves alternate, fleshy, entire, with a pair of 
spines at their base. Peduncles axillary, simple or once forked. 
Species 1, endemic. 
1. E. drupifera, Stapf in Hook. Ic. Pl. xxix. t. 2823. A tree 
40-50 ft. high, with milky juice. Young branches rather obscurely 
4—6- (often 5-) angled, fleshy, becoming cylindric and woody with age, 
armed at the angles with pairs of spines. Leaves alternate at the 
terminal part of the branches, thick and fleshy, glabrous, deciduous ; 
petiole 3—{ in. long, stout ; blade 3-81 in. long, 14-33 in. broad, usually 
elongated cuneate-oblong, sometimes obovate or cuneately obcordate, 
obtusely rounded or occasionally (from injury?) notched at the apex, 
acutely and somewhat abruptly cuneate into the petiole from er 
above the base or gradually tapering into it, entire. Stipules a pair of 
stout spines 1-2 lin. long; “these [continue to] grow after the leat 
fallen and become very conspicuous as the cicatrices are very plain'y 
marked” (Johnson). Peduncles usually 3 together, sometimes solitat ys 
in the axils of the young leaves, $-14 in. long, simple or once er 
with a sessile involucre in the fork and branches 4-1 in. long, mousey. y 
stout, glabrous. Bracts opposite, close under the involucres, $-¢ n- 
long, $- in. broad, broadly ovate, acute or obtuse, concave, keeled woe 
the back, glabrous, with buds in their axils. Involucre shallowly ne 
like, about 4 in. deep and 3-2 in. in diam., with 5 transversely ? vi 
entire spreading glands alternating with and outside of Ne are eit 
verse lobes 3-1 lin. long, 2-24 lin. broad, minutely denticulate-c! 0 
along the truncately rounded top, enclosing a dense cushion-like aoe 
of stamens (male flowers) and bracteoles, with or without @ ore — 
ovary (female flower). Bracteoles variably connate below, aan ies 
irregular in form, variably toothed or cut, glabrous. aamrgbnc hic 
perianth, glabrous, Ovary erect, confluent with the stout pee : ue 
does not exceed the stamens, without a calyx, glabrous, yet ont 
thick fleshy walls ; stigma subsessile, with 3 short spreading ne the 
channelled lobes. Fruit shortly exserted beyond ee sind 
stamens, varying in size from that of a cherry up to that . 1a ania 
elli; soid or subglobose, obtuse, fleshy, with a hard stony ear horbia 
carp, indehiscent.—Stapf in Johnston, Liberia, ii. 646- Bolas 
drupifera, Thonn, in Schum. & Thonn. Beskr. Guin. Pl. 2503 Sukk 
in DC. Prodr. xv. ii. 80; Pax in Engl. Jahrb. xxxiv. 68; Berge? 
