Phyllanthns. monoeci v monadeli'Hia. 



663 



Nole. A very laroe proportion of tlic fenuile flowers are 

 barren. The laste is herbaceous, with a considerable degree 

 ofstypticity. 



12. P. rhamnokles. Willd. iv. 580. .^w*»^^^**-y. 



Shrubby. Leaflets oval. Male flowers often racenied, 

 and in the inferior axills ;/ma/e solitary, no nectary. 



A small shrub, a native of cultivated land, amongst other 

 shrubs, on the coast of Coromandel. 



Stem scarcely any. Branches many, erect, smooth; youiuj 

 shoots annular from the running down of the insertions of the 

 loaves. Leaves scattered, spreading, pinnate, flower-bear- 

 ing, from three to five inches long. Leaflets from five to ten 

 pair, alternate, short- petioled, spreading, broad-oval, the 

 exterior ones largest, soft, below whitish, entire, from half to 

 three-fourths of an inch long, and from one-fourth to half an 

 inch broad. Petioles angular. Stipules of the petioles three- 

 fold, of the leaflets two-fold. Male flowers racemed. 

 Racemes single, from the lower axills, sessile, bowing, imbri- 

 cated, as in P. pendiila. Flowers very long pedicelled, de- 

 pending. J^ectary, six scales on the middle of the leaflets of 

 the calyx pointing inwards, before the flower expands, these 

 cover the anthers like so many hoods; when the leaves are 

 young there appear only one, two or three flowers, and no ra- 

 ceme, but in old leaves it is as conspicuous as in P. pendula. 

 Female flowers in the upper axills, single, short-pedun- 

 cled, bowing. Calyx six-leaved ; leaflets large. Kectary 

 none. Germ three-horned. Styles from the horn of the germ, 

 and not from the centre, each two-cleft. Stigmas revolute. 

 Capsule globular,of the size of a large pea, crowned w ith the 

 remaining styles and stigmas, as in P. baccijbrmis ; three- 

 celled, as in the other species. 



It is to be distinguished from V. pendula, by the general 

 habit of the shrubs, by the length of the leaves, by the form 

 of the leaflets, and lastly by the male flowers having long pe- 

 dicels; in that there they are sessile. 



