Eri/thrococca^ EuniortCiACE.E (rrain). 459 



XXIV. ERYTHROCOCCA, Bcjith. 



Flowers di(i?cious; petals 0. 3lale : Gahjx closed ia b(ul, splitting 

 into 3-4: valvate lobes. Stamens 2-60, usually intermixed Avith 

 small glands and sometimes surrounded by a ring of similar free or 

 connate glands ; filaments free, longer or shorter than the anthers ; 

 anthers erect, S-celled, cells free from the base, opening by hmgi- 

 tudinal extrorse slits. Rudimentary ovary 0. Female : Calyx 

 2- (less often 3-4-) partite. JDisc usually of 2-3 free scales or lobes. 

 Ovary 2-3-celled ; ovules solitary in each cell ; styles usually connate 

 below ; stigmas plumosely laciniate, less often smooth. Capsule 

 usually 2-coccous, less often 3-coccous or by abortion 1-coccous; 

 COCCI subglobose, opening loculicidally ; valves coriaceous, sub- 

 persistent. Seeds subglobose, covered by a thin aril; testa 

 crustaceous ; albumen fleshy ; cotyledons broad, flat. 



Shrubs ; twigs slender ; buds perulate ; bark lenticelled ; leaves alternate, 

 stipulate ; stipules cartilaginous, often accrescent aud modified into weak thorns or 

 spuies ; flowers snmll or very small, usually racemose ; peduncles slender ; pedicels 

 capillary, articulate ; male flowers usually several^ female flowers usually solitary ■ 

 to each bract. 



DisTRiB. Sjjecies about -40, all confined to Africa save one, which extends from 

 Abyst^inia to Arabia. 



Leaves thinly membranous^ entire or faintly crenate ; 



stamens about 30 (1) natalensis. 



Leaves firm, distinctly serrate ; stamens 15-18 (2) berberidea. 



1. E. natalensis (Praia in Xc^v Bulletin, 1911, 91); a shrub; 

 twigs at first sparingly pubescent, soon ghibrous ; leaves short- 

 pclioled, thinly membranous, ovate-lanceolate, acute or obtuse, base 

 narrow-cuneate, margin distantly glanclular-crenate or subentire, 

 1-^1 2" in. long, ^-| in. wide, glabrous; petiole 1-1| lin. long; 

 stipules modified Into conical thorns 1 lin. long ; flowers i^acemose, 

 rather small ; male racemes few-flowered, their peduncle slender, 

 glabrous, .^-| in. long; pedicels capilkij, U-2| lin. long, jointed 

 near the base; bracts mnmte, each usually 2-3-flowered; calyx 

 whitish, thinly membranous, deeply 4-lobed; lobes ovate, acut^ ; 

 stamens about 30, 10 outer, the rest central, accompanied by many 

 o^ate pilose inter-staminal glands and surrounded by a ring of 

 10 similar extra-staminal glands; filaments longer than the sub- 

 globose anther-cells; female flowers not seen. Prain in Ann. BoL 

 XXV. 613. • 



Eastern- Region- : Natal; Mount Edgecumbe, Wood, 1089! Mount MorelauJ, 

 500 ft., Wood, 1391 ! and without precise locality-, Garard, 81 1 



2. E. berberidea (Prain in Kew Bulletin, 1911, 92); a shrub; 



twigs glabrous; leaves short-petioledj firmly papery, ovate-lanceolate 

 or ovate, acute, base v\'ide- to narrow-cuneate, margin regularly and dis- 



