2 2 EllphorbiaceCC. \Phyllanthus. 



8. p. myrtifolius, Moon, Cat. 65 (1824). Thw. Enum. 283. 

 Macrcea* myrti/o/ia, Wight, Ic. v. 2, 27. C. P. 650. 



Fl. B. Ind. V. 296. Wight, Ic. t. 1902, f. 2 (not good). 



A large shrub, 8 ft. high, with very numerous irregular 

 stems, and many slender, much-branched, elongated twigs ; 

 bark vertically fissured; young parts very finely pubescent; 

 1. very numerous, spreading distichously (on the older branches 

 usually with a suppressed branchlet bearing 2 or 3 1. in axil, 

 forming a fascicle), |-| in., lanceolate-linear, narrowed, but 

 slightly sagittate at base, obtuse, glabrous, rather stiff; petiole 

 very short ; stip. minute, triangular, acute ; fl. several from 

 each l.-fascicle, on very slender pendulous filiform ped. -|-f in. 

 long, male extremely numerous, fem. much fewer; male fl. : — 

 sep. 6, ovate, subacute, glabrous, connivent; stam. 3, short; disk 

 6-lobed; fem. fl.: — sep. narrower and more acute; ov. glabrous, 

 styles short, spreading; fr. small, l in., depressed, slightly 3- 

 lobed, smooth; seeds beautifully reticulate. 



Moist region by streams, 1000-2000 ft.; rare. Near Kandy; Uma- 

 oya ; Dolosbagie. Fl. April, Sept., &c. ; purplish-red or greenish. 



Endemic. 



A very ornamental shrub when covered with the multitude of small 

 pendulous flowers. 



9. P. simplex, Refs. Obs. Bot. v. 29 (1789). 



Thw. Enum. 282. Macrcea oblongifolia^V^'ighX, Ic. v. ii. 27. C. P. 2139. 

 Fl. B. Ind. V. 295. Wight, Ic. t. 1902, f. i. 



A perennial herb, often woody below, usually with a long 

 tap-root and numerous elongated, slender, prostrate or as- 

 cending, slightly branched, compressed, glabrous stems ; 1. 

 numerous, small, \-^ in., on very short petioles, closely placed 

 and often overlapping, linear-oblong, obtuse, apiculatc; stip. 

 peltate, sagittate, brown, scarious ; fl. usually solitar5% on 

 slender axillary ped., fem. larger; sep. oblong, obtuse; stam. 3, 

 distinct ; styles short, bifid ; fr. very small, under i in., on 

 somewhat enlarged sep., globose, faintly 3-lobed, usually 

 slightly rough with minute prominences; seeds minutely 

 tuberclcd. 



Van ^S, G-ardnerlanus, Muell. Arg. I. c. 392. Macrica Gard- 

 neriana, Wight, Ic. v. ii, 27. P. Gardttai, Thw. Enum. 282. Wight, 

 Ic. t. 1902, f. 3. C. P. 5, 178. 



More robust, 1. usually larger, fl. more numerous, fr. on 

 longer ped., smooth. 



* Commemorates James Macrae, Superintendent of Peradeniya 

 Gardens, 1827-30, an active collector, especially of orchids. 



