Mierococea. | CXXII. EUPHORBIACE® (PRAIN). 877 
male flowers only or with male flowers throughout but terminating 
in a solitary female flower; or sometimes in 2-sexual racemes, the 
glomerules mostly or all with a solitary long-pedicelled female flower 
accompanied by a few male flowers. 
Species about 9, extending from Africa through the Mascarene Islands to South- 
eastern Asia. 
Shrubs; stamens 20 or more. 
Leaves long-petioled ; stamens not mixed with recepta- 
cular glands. 
Racemes androgynous, with a single terminal female 
flower; ovary glabrous . : , . - Ll. M. Volkensii. 
Racemes 1-sexual, plant dimcious; ovary setose . 2. M. Holstii. 
Leaves short-petioled; stamens mixed with inter- 
staminal glands ; racemes ]-sexual, plant diccious ; 
ovary glabrous . : : : : 5 - 3. M. scariosa, 
Annual herbs; stamens few; usually 6, mixed with 
inter-staminal glands; racemes androgynous, the 
glomerules often with each a central female flower ; 
ovary strigose . : : : i : : . 4 MM. Mercurialis. 
1. M. Volkensii, Prain in Ann. Bot. xxv. 631. Shrub 3-6 ft. 
high ; twigs green, sparingly adpressed-pubescent. Leaves long-petioled, 
membranous, lanceolate, acuminate, base wide-cuneate, margin distinctly 
glandular-serrate, 2-4 in. long, 4-1} in. wide, medium green, purplish 
when young, paler beneath, sparingly adpressed-pubescent or glabrous 
and minutely verrucose on both surfaces; lateral nerves 4-6 pairs, 
ascending; petiole glabrous or sparingly pubescent, 1-2 in. long ; 
stipules minute. Flowers in axillary monecious filiform racemes 3 in. 
long ; racemes peduncled and bearing at intervals of } in. (below) to § in. 
(towards the apex) minute spikelets of imbricating bracteoles or higher 
up glomerules of male flowers with a solitary terminal female flower ; 
bracts lanceolate, zz in. long; male bracteoles 1—-2-flowered, minute, 
ovate, cuspidate; peduncles 14-2 in. long and rhachis sparingly ad- 
pressed-pubescent ; pedicels capillary, glabrous, ;'; in. long. Male calyx 
greenish-purple, glabrous, depressed-globose in bud; lobes 3, dividing 
nearly to the base. Stamens 20; filaments short; inter-staminal glands 
Female calyx 3-lobed ; lobes ovate, acute, much larger than in the 
males. Ovary dark purple, glabrous, 3-celled ; stigmas 3, sessile, linear, 
plumosely fimbriate from the base. Disk of 3 free narrow ligulate scales 
alternating with the cells. Capsule purple, 3-coccous; cocci 2-valved. 
Seeds globose, purplish ; testa slightly wrinkled.—Claoxylon Volkensii, 
Pax in Engl. Pf. Ost-Afr. C. 238, and in Engl. Jahrb. xxiii. 524, 
Mozamb, Distr. German Fast Africa: Kilimanjaro, Marangu, 7000- 
7500 ft., Volkens, 1001! Engler, 1766! Uhlig, 131! 
2. M. Holstii, Prain in Ann. Bot. xxv. 630. Shrub 4~7 ft. high ; 
twigs green, faintly puberulous or glabrous. Leaves long-petioled, 
membranous, ovate or elliptic, acuminate, base wide-cuneate, margin 
slightly glandular-serrate, 6-8 in. long, 2-2} in. wide, medium green, 
purplish when young, paler beneath, minutely verrucose on both surfaces, 
