280 FLOKA OF JAMAICA Croti-n 



1-2 mm. 1. Bracts thread-like about 1*5 mm. 1. Male flowers (just 

 opening) : Calyx densely tomeutose inside and outside with stellate bair>, 

 5-parted, segments elliptical, 1'5 mm. 1. I'rtals about 2 mm. 1., white, 

 oblong, densely covered inside and on margins with long white hairs, 

 puberulous outside except at apex. Stauifn* 10-14 ; filaments hairy. 

 Female flowers : Calyx, covering like that of male, 5-parted, 4 mm. 1., 

 segments ovate-triangular, with edges near base slightly folded backwards. 

 Petals generally wanting, but sometimes one or more present spathulate, 

 hairy, two-thirds as long as the calyx. Ovary densely hairy with scaly 

 hairs with long rays. Styles pubescent, 2-parted, branches 2-parted again. 

 Capsule somewhat rough with scales more or less persistent, pubescent 

 styles persistent, 6-7 mm. 1. Seeds ellipsoidal, smooth, brown, 4 mm. 1. 



6. C. ovalifolius Vald in West Bidr. Ste. Croix (1793) ; 

 leaves varying much in size, the larger l'5-3'5 cm. 1., oval- 

 elliptical to oblong-elliptical, apex rounded or obtuse, base obtuse 

 to wedge-shaped, entire, upper surface glabrous, beneath more or 

 less hispid with stellate hairs, without glands on margin or at 

 base; stipules linear-acuminate, glandular. Grisel). op. cit. 41; 

 Muell. Arg. in DC. Prodr. xv. pt. 2, 648. C. diffusus Geisel. 

 op. cit. 41 (1807). Specimen from West, St. Cruz, in Herb. 

 Mus. Brit. 



Near Kingston, McNab ! Prior \ March ! Windward road, near Kings- 

 ton ; Liguanea Plain ; Campbell \ Long Mountain, 100 ft. ; Harris ! Fl. 

 Jam. 6015, 6102, 11,869, 12,119. Hispaniola, St. Thomas, St. Cruz, 

 Guadeloupe, Venezuela. 



Shrub ^ to 1 ft. high, much branched ; young twigs pubescent or hispid 

 with stellate hairs, or glabrescent. Leaves varying much in size, the 

 larger l'5-3'5 cm. 1., oval-elliptical to oblong-elliptical, apex rounded or 

 obtuse, base obtuse to wedge-shaped, without glands, upper surface 

 glabrous, beneath more or less hispid with stellate hairs ; nerves 3 at 

 base, pinnate above ; petiole 1-1*5 cm. 1. ; stipules linear-lanceolate, with 

 short glandular branches. Eacemes short, 2-3 cm. 1. Bracts linear- 

 lanceolate, denticulate. Male flowers: Calyx 2 - 5 mm. 1.; segments 

 oblong-ovate, pellucid-dotted, puberulous-tufted at apex. Petals 2 mm. 1., 

 lanceolate, pubescent on lower half inside. Stamens about 10 ; filaments 

 pubescent below. Female flowers : Calyx 4mm. 1., increasing to 5'5 mm. 

 in fruit, segments linear-lanceolate, fringed with glandular projections. 

 Ovary hispid. Styles 4-6-parted. Capsule 4'5 mm. 1., globular, glab- 

 rescent, exceeded by the calyx. Seeds 3-sided, convex on back, brownish, 

 barely 3 mm. 1. 



7. C. lueidus L. Si/st. ed. 10, 1275 (1759) ct Amcen v. 410, 

 383 ; leaves crowded towards the apex of the branches, so as to 

 appear opposite or ternate, 410 cm. L, lanceolate-elliptical, 

 elliptical, or oblong-elliptical, subacuminate (or rarely roundish), 

 apex obtuse, margin entire or sometimes obtusely and remotely 

 serrate, glabrous or w r ith stellate and simple hairs on both sides, 

 without glands at the base ; calyx of female flowers with a few 

 stellate hairs, about three times as long as male ; segments 

 oblong, with edges near base folded back outwards. Sic. Fl. Ind. 

 Occ. 1193; Griseb. (incl. vars.) loc. cit. ; Muell. Arg. in DC. Prodr. 

 xv. pt. 2, 561 ; Urb. Symb. Ant. iv. 341. Croton erectum glabrum, 



