58 Euphorbiace<E. [Acalypha. 



Shady places in the moist region 2000-4000 ft. ; rather common. 

 Matala; Kadaganawa ; Ramboda ; Badulla ; Nitre Cave Dist. Fl. Jan., 

 Feb., Sept. ; pinkish green. 



S India, Java, Trop. Africa. 



2. A. fruticosa, Forsk. Fl. .-Egypt.-Arab. 161 (i775)- 

 ' A. betulina, Retz. Obs. Bot. v. 30; jMoon, Cat. 65 ; Thw. Enum. 271, 

 C. P. 2094. 



Fl. B. Ind. V. 415. 



A low shrub, very much branched ; branches slender, vir- 

 gate, spreading or ascending, glabrous; young parts scurfily 

 pubescent; 1. numerous, but rather distant, |-2 in., oblong or 

 rhomboid-ovate, acute at base, shortly acuminate, coarsely 

 or finely crenate-serrate, glabrous, with small, punctiform, 

 orange, scattered glands beneath; petiole |-i^ in., slender; 

 stip. minute, persistent ; fl. minute, sessile, on strict ped., in 

 clusters crowded in short axillary spikes, male very numerous, 

 with minute bracts ; stam. 8 ; fem. 2 or 3 at base of spikes, 

 each with toothed bracts ; styles 3, split into many filiform 

 segments ; capsule with 3 rounded lobes, densely pubescent. 



Dry region, rather rare. Puttalam ; Uma-oya ; Mantai, Aripo ; 

 Kirinda, abundant ; also at Matale. Fl. Dec-April, Aug. ; greenish- 

 white. 



S. India, Burma, Arabia, Trop. Africa. 



First noticed by Koenig ; Moon's locality is Wellasse. Often grega- 

 rious and in great quantity, as on the site of the ancient city of Tirukel- 

 tisvaram, Mantai. The leaves are fetid when bruised. The young 

 spikes before expansion are very like the catkins of the birch, and this, 

 coupled with the similarity in foliage, accounts for Retzius' name, 

 betulina. 



3. A. indica, /.. Sp. PL 1003 (1753)- Kuppami^nya, S. 

 Kuppam^ni, Punalrananki, T. 



Herm. Hort. Lugd.-Bat. 686 ; Mus. 2. Burm. Thes. 203. Fl. Zeyl. 

 n. 341. Moon, Cat. 65. Thw. Enum. 271. C. P. 2098. 



Fl. B. Ind. v. 416. Herm. Hort. Lugd.-Bat. t. 687. Wight. Ic. t. 877. 



Annual herb, \-2\ ft, erect ; branches numerous, long, 

 ascending, angular, finely pubescent; 1. 1^-3 in., rhomboid- 

 ovate, tapering at base, acute, serrate, glabrous, thin, some- 

 what 3-nerved at base, pale green ; petiole usually longer than 

 1., slender, spreading ; stip. minute ; fl. sessile, in numerous, 

 lax, erect, axillary spikes, male very small, clustered near 

 summit; stam. 8; fem. solitary, scattered, each with a large, 

 leafy, truncate, dentate bract; ov. hispid; capsule small, quite 

 concealed by enlarged bract. 



Cultivated and waste ground in the low country, especially in dry 

 region ; a common weed. F'l. all the year; green. 

 Tropical Asia and Africa generally. 



