Purdieane. N. O. Euphorbiacee. 
TAB. DCC. 
Evruorsia auata, Hook. 
Suffruticosa, caulibus erectis di-trichotomis articulatis ramisque 
gracilibus compresso-planis utrinque alatis glaucis, articulis 
linearibus elongatis, foliis 2 raris terminalibus ovali-rotun- 
datis deciduis, floribus solitariis utrinque ad genicula, ple- 
rumque 3 terminalibus minutis breviter pedunculatis, pedun- 
culis bibracteatis, bracteis in axillo rudimentum floris geren- 
tibus, involucri glandulis 5 Squamisque 5 fimbriatis iis alter- 
nantibus. 
Has. Rocky woody place above Christiana, Manchester, Ja- 
maica, growing with the Lagetta lintearia, or Lace-Bark Tree, 
Mr. Purdie. 
Few plants, as is well known, can be more proteous in appear- 
ance than the various species of Euphorbia; but the most un- 
usual forms are chiefly confined to Africa, the tropical parts of 
the new world producing but few species; though there is found 
‘the present very remarkable one, which but for its flowers might 
rather be taken for some flat-stemmed articulated Viscum, or an 
Epiphylium, among Cactee. Our specimen is about a foot high. 
From a fibrous, but ligneous root, arises a short cylindrical 
stem, woody at the base, soon becoming herbaceous, glaucous- 
green, firm and rigid, branched and jointed ; the branches and 
articulations slender, compressed, two-edged with a wing-like 
rder. Two small, shortly petiolated leaves, are seen at the 
apices of some of the ultimate articulations; but they are 
quickly deciduous, and the whole plant is very fragile at the 
Joints. Flowers sometimes solitary at the joint, usually three 
appear together at the apex, and from between the two leaves : 
they are small, purplish-brown. The species is probably 
dieecious. 
Fig. 1. Apex of a flowering branch. J. 2. Involucre with 
flowers. f. 3. The same laid open, showing the fimbriated 
scales, male flowers, and a solitary imperfect female flower in 
the centre. f. 4. Male flowers removed from the involucre. 
f.5. Abortive female flower from ditto :— magnified, 
