Microdesmis.] | CXXI1, EUPHORBIACEEH (HUTCHINSON). 743 
strongly looped well within the margin, lowermost one running along 
the margin to above the middle of the leaf-blade, slightly immersed 
above, very prominent below ; primary transverse nerves few, prominent 
below, with several more or less parallel less conspicuous veins ; 
petiole 2-4 lin. long, pubescent with stiff short hairs; stipules short, 
pubescent. Male flowers about 3 lin. in diam. when fully developed ; 
pedicel rather slender, up to 3 lin. long, tomentellous. Sepals and 
petals as in W/, puberula, but a little larger. Stamens inserted about the 
middle of the rudimentary ovary, with the lobes of a disk protruding 
between the filaments. Rudimentary ovary conical, glabrous. Female 
flowers as in M. puberula. Fruits not seen.—M. puberula, Miill. Arg. 
in DC, Prodr, xv. ii. 1041, partly,as to Mann’s Gaboon and Welwitsch’s 
Angola specimens ; Hiern in Cat. Afr. Pl. Welw. i. 967; Pax in Engl. 
Pflanzenr. Euphorb.-Cluytiee, 106, partly, not of Hook. f. 
Upper Guinea. Cameroons: Johann-Albrechtsh6Ohe, Staudt, 545! Victoria, 
Kalbreyer, 281 Yaunde, Zenker § Staudt, 42! 61! 318, 354, 572! 607! 672! 
Zenker, 707! Lolodorf, Staudt, 29! 147! Bipinde, Zenker, 1014! 1187! 1693! 
1960! 2736! 3068! Batanga, Bates, 152! 339! Efulen, Bates, 355! 
Lower Guinea. Spanish Guinea: on the way to Nserang, Tessmann, 709! 
Gaboon: Sibange Farm, Soyaur, 41! 92! Gaboon River, Mann! Angola: 
forests of the Alto Queta Mountains, from Camilungo to Sange, Welwitsch, 355! 
3558 ! 356! 
36. HEVEA, Aubl.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Pl. iii. 290. 
Flowers monecious. Petals absent. Male flowers: Calyx ovoid or 
globose in bud, 5-lobed, 5-dentate or truncate, valvate. Disk-glands 
conspicuous. Stamens 5-10; filaments connate into a column; anthers 
arranged regularly or irregularly around the column in 1-2 series, 
subsessile, those of the lower series alternating with the calyx-lobes. 
Rudimentary ovary terminating the staminal column, mostly longer 
than the anthers. Female flowers: Calyx as in the male. Ovary ovoid, 
8-celled; stigmas thick, spreading, entire or slightly 2-lobed ; ovules 
solitary in each ovary-cell. Capsule large, breaking up into 2-valved 
cocci; exocarp slightly fleshy ; endocarp thick and somewhat woody. 
Seeds large, oblong, smooth,. without a strophiole; testa crustaceous ; 
albumen absent or much reduced ; cotyledons thick, fleshy, equal in 
size.— Trees, often abounding in latex. Leaves alternate, long-petiolate, 
trifoliolate ; leaflets stalked, entire, penninerved, membranous or coria- 
ceous. Flowers in panicles of cymules, the central flower of each cymule 
2 , the rest 3. 
Species about 18, occurring in the tropics of South America. A description of 
Hevea brasiliensis, Miill. Arg., the well-known Para rubber tree, is included in this 
Work on account of its extensive cultivation in Africa. 
1. H. brasiliensis, Miill, Arg. in Linnea, xxxiv. 204. A tree 
attaining a height of 60 ft.; branchlets subterete, glabrous. Leaves 
digitately trifoliolate; leaflets stalked, elliptic or elliptic-oblanceolate, 
acuminate to an obtuse or subacute apex, more or less narrowed to the 
