44 EUPHORBIACE^. 



— Stem with apprcssed, eglandular down, or glabrous ; leaves glabrous, or pubescent only on 

 the ribs beneath, 3"-l" long : petiole 10"'-3"' long ; prickles of the capsule deltoid, greenish, 

 terminated with a gland, which is early deciduous. — Hab. Jamaica!, Dist., in swamps; 

 [New Granada !, Brazil 1]. 



18. DITAXIS, V. 



Calyx 5-partite, valvate. Petals 5, contorted, or none. Stamens biseriate, inserted into 

 the gynophore of the abortive pistil, 5 superior, 5-10 inferior : anthers subglobose, introrse. 

 Discal glands 5 . Styles bifid: stigmas crenate. Capsule 3-coccous. Seeds even, globose, 

 ecarunculate. — Shrubs, containing a purple pigment ; leaves undivided, stipulate ; racemes 

 axillary, few-jlowered, subsessile, either androgynous, with the $ flower solitary, inferior, 

 and appearing terminal if the pedicel is excrescent, or dioecious. 



66. D. glabella, Gr. Leaves obovate, elliptical -lanceolate, or lanceolate, remotely 

 serrate above the base, glabrate, shortly petioled ; flowers monoecious, <J 2-3, shortly pedi- 

 cellate, four times exceeded by the excrescent, cernuous pedicel of the ? ; petals spathulate, 

 exceeding the calyx; stamens 10 ; capsule pilose. — Juss. Euph.f. 24. — D. fasciculata, V.ap. 

 Juss. non descr. (non Schleckt.). — A shrub, 3'— 4' high; leaves 4"-l" long, 15"'-6'" broad, 

 pointed or bluntish, subsericeous with scattered, caducous hairs ; ? calyx 2"', at length 4'" 

 long ; petals 3'" long. — Hab. Antigua !, Nichols. ; S. Vincent !, Guild. ; Trinidad !, Lockh., 

 Cr.; [Venezuela!]. 



D. fasciculata, Schlecht. {Linnwa, 6. p. 762), of S. Thomas and Venezuela!, is distin- 

 guished by having smaller, quite entire leaves, and by the short pedicel of $ , which at 

 length exceeds scarcely the J . 



67. D. haemiolandra, Gr. (n. sp.). Leaves spathulate-lanceolate or lanceolate, quite 

 entire, glabrous, shortly petioled ; flowers dioecious : S racemes glomeruli form, a little 

 longer than the petiole, 5-8 -flowered ; petals none; stamens 15. — Habit and insertion of 

 the stamens as in the typical species. A white-barked shrub ; leaves 3"-l£'' long, 12"'-6'" 

 broad, chartaceous, bluntish, tapering towards the base, arch-nerved with 3-5 distant veins : 

 petiole 2"'-3'" long ; stipules minute, linear, deciduous ; £ racemes contracted, with acces- 

 cessory, basilar, abortive buds: pedicels 1'" long, and calyx pubescent: segments 1'" long, 

 ovate-lanceolate, pointed, glabrous within, exceeded a little by the stamens ; discal glands 5 ; 

 gynophore cylindrical: inferior filaments 10, proceeding from its middle, superior 5 inserted 

 at the top : anthers ovoid ; $ unknown. — Hab. Jamaica !, Macf., Pd. 



19. ARGYTHAMNIA, P. Br. 



Flowers monoecious.. Calyx 4-5-partite, valvate. Petals 4-5, included, cut at the top 

 (or in the $ none). Stamens 4-5, cohering at the very base, and surrounding a central 

 rudiment : anthers subglobose, introrse. Discal glands 4-5. Styles cut into 3-8 branches. 

 Capsule 3-coccous. Seeds globose, ecarunculate. — Shrubs, containing a purple pigment ; 

 leaves undivided, stipulate; racemes axillary few-flowered, subsessile: flowers shortly pedi- 

 cellate, 3-1 inferior ? . 



Chiropetalum, Juss. (Serophytum, Benth.) and Ditaxis, which have the same colouring 

 matter in the leaves and flowers, are nearly allied, being chiefly distinguished by the high, 

 staminiferous gynophore. 



68. A. caudicans, Sw. Leaves lanceolate, tapering at both ends, remotely serrate 

 above the base, pubescent, chiefly beneath, shortly petioled : hairs subsericeous, caducous ; 

 stamens 4, exserted ; styles 4— 8-fid ; seeds smooth, variegated. — Si. I. 86. f. 3. — A white- 

 barked-shrub, 5'— 1' high ; leaves 3"-6" long : petiole 1'" long, or shorter ; racemes con- 

 tracted, (? flowers 3-4, ? subsolitary; $ calyx 4-, ? 5-partite; petals white, in ? 

 smaller, or abortive. — Hab. Jamaica !, Pd., Al., March, Wils., on arid soil, from the coast 

 to the lower hills ; [Cuba ! to Caribbean Islands], 



69. A. sericea, Gr. (». sp). Leaves obovate, mucronate, quite entire, subsessile, seri- 

 ceous : down persistent ; stamens 5, as long as the calyx and petals; styles 3-4 -fid; seeds 

 punctate-scabrous. — A low, leafy shrub, entirely covered with silky down ; leaves 12"'-8'" 

 long, 8"'-5'" broad : principal veins 3—4 on each side, straightish, promiuulous, parallel to 

 the cuneate leaf-base : stipules lanceolate-setaceous, persistent, I" 1 long ; racemes contracted 



