EiipUorlirt .1 EUPiiORBiACE.f: (Brown). 28 



i> 



This f?pecies is svell distinguished from its allies, with the exception of 

 K spartarkf, N. E. Br., bj the bracts being as long as the involucre, a.^ well as by 

 its erect subparallel branches. 



Barchell, 17 '2i (not 1424 as printed), is erroneously quoted by Eoissier under 

 this species, but not only are the habit and appearance totally different, but the 

 male involucres are larger and the bracts shorter than the involucres in Eurchell's 

 plant, for which see 55, E, rectirama, N. E. Br. 



55. E. rectirama (N. E, Br.) ; a succulent, leafless and spineless 

 bush, up to 3 ft. high {BffrcJiell), with many branching stems 2-3 

 hn. thick at the base, diueious ; branches opposite, diverging from 

 each other at an angle of 45°-6.3°, erect or ascendiiig, terete, 

 glabrous, with internodes |-3 in. long; leaves opposite, rudimen- 

 tary, soon deciduous, |-1 lin, long, spatlmlate, with the linear or 

 oblong-linear petiole abruptly dilated into a suborbicular or very 

 broadly ovate or transversely elliptic blade^ rounded or subacute 

 and apiculate at the a2)ex, channelled and more or less pubescent at 

 the bottom of the channel down the face, otherwise glabrous ; 

 cymes opposite and usually racemosely arranged along the branches, 

 2-1 i in. long, once or twice forked, with "2-4 involucres or sometimes 

 the upper are undivided \\ ith oidy 1 involucre ; bracts like the 

 leaves ; involucres solitary, sessile, in the male plant l^-li hn. in 

 diain. and 1 lin. deep, in the female f-1 lin. in diam. and | lin. 

 deep, cup-shaped, glabrous outside, pubescent within, with 5 glands 

 and 5 subcjuadrate toothed lobes; glands of the male ^—5 lin. and 

 of the female ^-^- lin. in their greater diam., transversely oblong or 

 f^llipticj entire; ovary finaJIv exserted on a pedicel just abo\"e the 

 involucre, glabrous ; styles h lin. long, shortly united at the base, 

 ■with spreading bifid arms"; capsule H-2 lin. in diam., 3dobed, 

 smooth ; seeds 1 lin. long, ovoid, pointed at one end, obscurely 

 4-angled, tuberculate-rugose, grey. 



district, Bnrtt-Dary, 11S50 ! 



56. E. arrecta (N. E. Br.) ; a leafless and spineless succulent 

 buslj, probably 2 ft. or more high, compactly much-branched above, 

 unisexual ; main stems or branches ll-l^" lin. thick (dried) ; lateral 

 branches more slender, opposite, diverging from each other at 

 the base at an angle of 45''-50'', then erect, elongated and by 

 forking into cymes or with opposite pairs of cymes racemosely 

 ■scattered along them forming a panicle 1 ft. long and 3-4 



I 1 



4 



in- broad, glabrous; leaves rudimentary, scale-like, opposite, p^-^ 

 liu. long, deltoid-ovate, often angular on each side at the 

 base, and tlierc contracted into an exceedingly short petiole 

 ■or subsessile, obtuse, apiculate; stipular glands none; cymes 

 usually twice forked, each fork or branchlet bearing 1 involucre ; 

 i>racts under the involucre sessile, broadly ovate or oblong, obtuse, 

 apiculate; involucre sessile, l-\\ lin. in diam., cup-shaped, glabrous 

 outside, with 5 inlands and 5 oblong or subquadrate minutely toothed 



