Plukenetia,] euphorbiace^ (Prain), 497 



2. P. hastata (Miill. Arg. in Flora, 1864, 4G9); a Lerb with 



I woody basej stems up to 4-5 ft, long, slender, twining, branched, 



thinly pubescent; leaves short-petioled, membranous, oblong-trian- 

 ; gular to lanceolate, base sometimes sagittate or cordate or somewhat 



3-lobed and cuneate between the small coarsely toothed lateral lobes, 

 margin except on the basal lobes minutely and distantly tootlied or 

 siibentire, 1-3 in. long, ^ in. wide at the base, more or less; pubes- 

 cent especially on the nerves when young, at length nearly glab- 

 rous, nerves especially beneath purplish ; petiole glabrous, l-h in, 

 long ; stipules linear, small ; racemes leaf-opposed, up to 2 in. long, 

 distinctly peduncled, with 30-40 male flowers in 12-18 glomerules 

 above and a solitary basal female flower w^hich may sometimes be 

 absent ; bracts lanceolate, small ; male calyx 4-lobed ; stamens 

 about 12; filaments short; female calyx 4-lobed; ovary pilose; 

 stigma 4-lobed ; capsule 4-dymons, transversely ^- in., diagonally 

 ^ in. across ; cocci distinctly winged at the back ; seeds complanate, 



in. across, narrowly marginally winged; Miilh Arg, in DO, 

 V, a. 772 ; Prain in Dyer, FL Trap. Aft. vi. i. 950. Pseudo- 

 %ndens. Pax in Bull. Herh, Boiss. 2''** set\ viii. 636. 



I 



Kalahari Rkgion : Transvaal ; South African Gold-field, Baines ! 



Eastern" PiEGion : Portuguese East Africa ; Lom-eiiQo Marques, Sclilcclitcr , 1152G I 



Also in Tropical Africa, 



Very nearly allied to P, africana, Soud., and principally to be distinguished by 

 its twining, aot expect stems. 



XXXVL DALECHAMPIA, Linn. 



Flowers mon<ecions, those of tlie two sexes together^ enveloped by 

 two showy bracts; petals 0; disc 0. Jlcde : Oahjx closed in bud, 

 splitting into 4-6 valvate lobes. Stamens usually 20-30, rarely 

 more or fewer ; filaments united in a short or long column ; anthers 

 erect, 2-celled; cells parallel, dehiscing longitudinally. Rudimen- 

 tary ovary 0. Female: Calyx usually G^partite, lobes more or less 

 2-seriately imbi'icate, or 5-partite, quincuncialj rarely more than 

 G-partite; segments pinnatifid or fimbriate, less often lanceolate 

 entire, often accrescent and coriaceous in fruit. Ovary 3-celled, 

 rarely 4-celled ; ovules solitary in each cell ; styles united in a long 

 column ; stigma capitate, small or dilated, entire or lobulate. 

 Capsule 3-dymous, rarely 4-dymous, breaking up into 2-valved cocci ; 

 endocarp crustaceous or woody. Seeds globose or ellipsoid, without 

 a strophiole ; albumen fleshy ; cotyledons broad, flat. 



Under.^hrubs, twiuiug or climbing; leaves alternate, long-petioled, entire or 

 3-5-lobed or -partite ; racemes axillary, sessile or peduncled, usually congested 

 and subcapitate, surrounded by the 2*^ large veined and usually brigbt]}' coloured 

 simple or lobed involucral bracts ; flowers sessile or shortly pedicelied, the outer 

 and lower female, usually 3 to a bract; the inner and upper 3 or more to each 

 bract ; capsules sometimes small, with rounded cocci, sometimes large with hard 

 angular cocci. 



FL. O, — VOL. V, SECT. II, - '^ 



