321 



On the NortJi Brazilian Euphorbiace^e in the collections of 



Mr. Spruce; 5y George Bentham, Esa. 



Pedilanthes. 



This genus, hitherto confined to the West Indies, Mexico, and the 

 Spanish Main, had not been found within the limits of Brazil, till 

 Mr. Spruce gathered the following species in April, 1851, in the 

 Capoeiras, near Barra do Eio Negro. It is allied to the common P. 

 tithymaloides^ but the leaves are much less carinate, shorter, and 

 broader, and the shape of the involucre is different, although difficult 

 to describe. 



P. retusa ; glabra, foliis oblique lato-ovatis obtusis retusisve basi acutis 

 leviter carinatis, involucris postice leviter gibbis, labio superiore 

 brevi lato integro, inferiore duplo longiore, ovario glabro, capsulis 

 ecornutis. — Caules a basi perenni plures erecti carnoso-subliguosi, 

 subramosi, 2-5-pedales, glabri. Folia glabra, crassiuscula, fere 

 Loranthi^ 2-2J poll, longa, 1-2 poll, lata, pleraque apice emarginato- 

 retusa, praeter costam mediam subavenia, petiolo brevissimo. Flores 

 in cymam terrainalem brevem vix ramosam dispositL Involucra 

 breviter pedieellata, calceiforraia, 4-5 lin. longa, postice leviter gibba 

 nee calcarata et intus biglandulosa, ore bilabiato, labio superiore v. 

 postico erecto apice inflexo truncato, inferiore horizontaliter producto 

 subcylindrico flores involvente 4-lobo, lobis 2 inferioribus majoribus 

 subtus alte connatis apice rotuudatis 2 superioribus subinclusis et 

 iis dimidio minoribus angustioribusque. Flores mascnli 15-20, mo- 

 nandri, squamis nullis intcrmixtis. Pediculi ex involucro subexserti, 

 superne hispicli. Filamentum in pediculo articulatum, glabenimum, 

 breve ; antherse loculi distinct!. Flos fee mine us cum pediculo hirtello 

 continuus, ovario styloque elongato glabris. Slyli rami breves, bifidi. 

 Capsula laevis, trisuica, tricocca. . 



Euphorbia. ^ 



The collection only contains four species, all common tropical weeds, 

 and all gathered iu the neighbourhood of Santarera, viz. K geniciilata, 

 Ort. {E. prumfolia, Jacq.), E. hjperlci folia, L., E. pilulifera, L., aud 

 one of the Chammyce set, perhaps E. tenella, 11. B. K. ; but without a 

 thorough revision of the numerous good or bad species published in 



VOL. VI, 



2 T 



