TaB. 8756. 
MONADENIUM ERvUBESCENS. 
East Africa. 
EUPHORBIACEAE. Tribe EHUPHORBIEAE. 
MonapEnium, Pax in Engl. Jahrb. vol. xix. p. 126 et in Engl. ¢ Prantl, Nat. 
Pflanzenfam. vol. iii. pars 5, p. 457; N. E. Brown in Dyer, Fl. Trop. 
Afr. vol. vi. sect. 1, p. 450. 
Monadenium (§ Lortia) erubescens, N. E. Brown in Dyer, Fl. Trop. Afr. 
vol. vi. sect. 1, p. 457, pro parte; species M. majori, N. E. Br., affinis sed 
tubere globoso, caule prostrato, cyathiis solitariis pedunculis simplicibus 
singulis in foliorium summorum axillis suffultis, involucro exteriore albido 
nec viridi-rubro et pubescentia omnium fere partium distinctum. 
Herba perennis, tubere globoso 20-35 cm. diametro. Caules 1-2 e tubere 
orti, prostrati, succulenti, simplices vel inferne ramosi ad 5 mm. crassi, ad 
15 em. longi, minute puberuli. Folia petiolata, in planta culta variabilia, 
inter orbiculari-ellipticum et late ovato-lanceolatum fluctuantia, in planta 
spontanea plerumque late obovato-cuneata, apice breviter acuta vel 
cuspidato-acuminata, in planta culta 3-6 cm. longa, 2-3 cm. lata, in planta 
spontanea minora, 2-3°5cm. longa, 1°8-2 cm. lata, margine crispo-undulata, 
carnosula, supra viridia, infra rubescentia et viridi-venosa, minute et laxe 
puberula ; petiolus brevis vel ad 1 cm. elongatus, dense puberulus. Injlores- 
centia axillaris, ad cyathium solitarium involucrato-bracteatum in pedun- 
culo sub anthesi 1 cm. vix excedente maturitate elongato nutans redacta ; 
bracteae ad medium in cupulam late apertam campanuliformem 1°8 cm. 
diametro et paulo ultra 1 cm. altam connatae, minute apiculatae, carnosulae, 
albae pulchre viridi-venosae et fundum versus roseo-tinctae. Cyathiwm 
subsessile, globoso-tubulosum, puberulum, pallide viride, 6 mm. diametro, 
uno latere ad medium apertum, lobis albis fimbriatis 5 glandula annulari 
flavida crassa integra circumdatis et superatis. Flores ¢ nudi, bracteolis 
fimbriatis intermixti. Flos 2 e cyathii fissura exsertus, nutans; perlan- 
thium ad cupulam perbrevem margine subundulatam vel lobulatam ovaril 
basin cingentem redactum; ovarium obtuse trigonum angulis haud alte 
bialatis, alis undulatis. Capsula matura ignota.—Lortva erubescens, 
Rendle in Journ. Bot. 1898, p. 80.—O. Starr. 
The genus Monadenium was established by Pax in 1914 
on a species from East Africa with the floral structure 
characteristic of the genus Luphorbia, Linn., but easily 
distinguished from Euphorbia owing to the great develop- 
ment of the glandular apparatus of the cyathium. — In 
this respect Monadenium, Pax, agrees with Synadenium, 
established by Boissier in 1862 on a Natal species, though 
in that genus the glandular ring is closed and not open 
Aprit-JunE, 1918. 
