442 University of California Puhlications in Botmiy [Vol. 7 



the plant has two ovules in eaeli cell of the ovarj', and so belongs to 

 the Phyllanthoideae (as Brandegee has pointed out), and not among 

 the Crotouoideae. 



Tetracoccus Ilallii Braudg. (Zoe, 5:229. .1906) is very close to 

 8. fasciculata and I am in some doubt as to its distinctness. The 

 association of T. Hallii with the very different T. dioicus does violence 

 to natural relationships, for not only do the plants differ in the 

 number of cells to the ovary, but in sepal number and shape, in 

 pubescence, and in shape and position of leaves. The opposite leaves 

 in Tetracoccus dioicns clearly show a relationship to the alliance 

 called the Toxieodendrinae by Pax (E. & P., Nat. Ptianzenf., 3^31. 

 1896), whereas the characters of T. Hallii evidently relate it to 

 Phyllanthinae as defined by Pax (op. cit., 17). If one is to accept 

 the character evaluations maintained by the master workers in the 

 Euphorbiaceae, it is impossible to leaA^e T. Hallii congeneric with 

 T. (Jim'c}(s. Among the described genera the plant seems to fit better 

 in Securingea. and so it seems best to call it ;S'. Hallii n. comb. 

 Securinega Hallii, S. fasciculata, and S. capeTisis form a small natural 

 group in the section Fluggea, and though suggesting S. ramiflora 

 probably are to be associated with S. aciclothamnus : the relationships, 

 however, are not close, and the three species differ from other 

 Securinegae in habit and caruncular seeds. The following key con- 

 trasts the characters of Tetracoccus dioicus and the three Securinega 

 species discussed. 



Ovary 4-celled; sepals on female flowers linear, becoming 3-5 mm. long; leaves 



linear, opposite; plant glabrous throughout Tetracoccus dioicus 



Ovary 3-celled; sepals on female flowers triangular or ovate, becoming 2 mm. 

 long; leaves spatulate or oblanceolate, alternate; young branches and fruit 

 pubescent 

 Fruit globose-oblong, rather strongly lobed, becoming 9 mm. in diameter, 



flattened at base; leaf blades 7-15 mm. long, 3-4 mm. wide 



Securingea capensis 

 Fruit oblong, weakly lobed, becoming 5 mm. in diameter, sunken in deeply 

 at base; leaf blades 9' mm. long or less, becoming 3 mm. wide 



Sepals 6; male flowers on pedicels 5 mm. long, Californian 



Securingea Hallii 



Sepals 5; male flowers on pedicels 2 mm. long, Mexican 



Securinega fasciculata 



