ba | 
Mallotus. | CXXU. EUPHORBIACE& (PRAIN). 92 
65. MALLOTUS, Lour.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. iii. 
319, 
Flowers diccious, rarely monecious, apetalous. Male: Calyx 
globose, closed in bud, splitting into 3-5 valvate lobes. Stamens usually 
numerous, rarely definite, inserted on a slightly elevated receptacle ; 
filaments free, occasionally accompanied by inter-staminal glands; 
anthers dorsifixed low down, 2-celled, cells opening longitudinally, 
sometimes slightly separated by a widened connective, Rudimentary 
ovary 0 or rarely minute. Female: Calyx shortly or deeply imbricately 
or valvately 3-5-lobed or subspathaceous. Disk usually 0. Ovary 
usually 3-celled, rarely 2- or 4-celled; ovules solitary in each cell; 
Styles free or connate at the base, undivided, recurved, papillose or 
fimbriate on the inner face. Capsule globose or 3-dymous, rarely 
2-dymous, dividing into 2-valved cocci. Seeds ovoid or globose; testa 
crustaceous, sometimes spuriously arillate; albumen fleshy; cotyledons 
broad, flat.—Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate or opposite, petioled, 
rather broad, entire, toothed or lobed, sometimes peltate, usually with 
basal glands on the upper side. Spikes simple or paniculate; male 
flowers numerous, small, fasciculate ; females fewer, solitary. Capsule 
pubescent, glandular or echinate. 
Species over 80, throughout the tropics of the Old World, but in Africa 
sparingly represented. 
Leaves not gland-dotted ; stipules rigid; fruit bristly . 1. W. subulatus. 
Leaves gland-dotted beneath; stipules flexible; fruit 
smooth , : i ; ° . ; - . 2. M. oppositifolius. 
1. M. subulatus, Will. Arg. in Linnea, xxxiv.192. Shrub, 6-15 
ft. high ; twigs subscabridly stellate- pubescent. Leaves petioled, opposite, 
membranous, oblong or rarely ovate, acute, base widely rounded, rarely 
subcordate, margin entire, 4-7 in. long, 3-4 in. wide, bright green, glab- 
rous on both surfaces, not glandular beneath, 3-nerved from the base ; 
petiole 3-2} in. long, stellate-pubescent ; stipules subulate, rigid, 3—4 lin. 
long. Racemes axillary, stellate-pubescent, 1-2 in. long; male flowers 
glomerate ; pedicels shorter than the buds; females solitary ; pedicels as 
long as the flowers. Male: Calyx obovoid, 3-4-partite ; lobes valvate, 
densely stellate without. Stamens 40-50; filaments free. Rudimentary 
Ovary sometimes present. Female sepals usually 3, densely stellate- 
pubescent, recurved. Ovary 3-celled, globose, rugose; stigmas densely 
papillose on the inner face. Capsule 3-coccous, 6-8 lin. wide ; cocci 
2-valved, covered with firm rather wide-based slightly hooked bristles. 
Seeds globose, 24 lin. across.—DC. Prodr. xv. ii. 970; Pax in De Wild. 
Durand, Contrib. Fl. Congo, i. 50; De Wild. & Durand, Reliq. 
Dewevr. ii. 211; De Wild. Etudes Fl. Bas- et Moyen-Congo, il. 280; 
Th. & Hél. Durand, Syll. Fl. Cougol. 495. M. Buettneri, Pax in Engl. 
Jahrb. xix. 89. 
Upper Guinea. Ivory Coast: Aboisso, Chevalier, 17825! Gold Coast : 
Axim, Chipp, 50! Southern Nigeria: Benin, Unwin, 38! Bonny, Monteiro! 
Calabar, Williams, 32! Oban, Talbot, 621! 623! 655! Cross River, Johuston! 
