PLATE 302. 



EUPHOBBIA NATAT.ENSIS, Bernh. (ex Krauss in Flora XXVIII. (1845), 86). 

 Natural Order, EOPHORBIACEAE. 



A low undershrub, having one or many stems from a woody root. Steins 

 erect, terete, simple, minutely pubescent; 6 to 18 inches high. Leaves thickly 

 scattered on the stem, subsessile, linear-oblong, quite entire, rounded at each end, 

 mucronate at apex, patent, dark green above, glaucous beneath ; f to 1 inch long, 

 1 to 2 lines wide, the upper ones or floral leaves much wider. Inflorescence of 

 many male and a solitary female flower, enclosed in a cup-like involucre ; the 

 involucres in terminal or subterminal compound cymes. Bracts 2, sub-rotund, 

 emarginate, margins entire, mucronate, light green, longer than the involucre ; 3 

 to 4 lines long, 1^ to 2 lines wide. Involucre campanulate with 5 quadrangular 

 lacerate lobes. Glands 4, on margin of involucre, shortly stalked, flattened, and 

 irregularly toothed on upper portion, or entire ; yellow-green. Male flowers 

 numerous, without floral envelopes, mixed with numerous filiform pilose bracteoles. 

 Filaments each on a pilose pedicel, and globose at base, glabrous ; anthers 2-celled, 

 cells distinct, globose. Female flower pedicelled, pedicel pilose, much longer than 

 the involucre, and usually much recurved. Floral envelopes none. Ovary sub- 

 globose, 3 cells, cells 1-ovuled. Styles 3, 2-fid ; stigmas obtuse. Capsule, 3- 

 coccous, cocci elastically 2-valved. 



Habitat : NATAL : Clairmont, 50 feet alt., February, Wood, No. 1429 ; Inanda, 

 Wood ; near Durban, August, Wood. 



A rather pretty plant, which is not uncommon in the coast and midland dis- 

 tricts. It will be noticed that though the involucre is 5-lobed the glands are 4 

 only and alternate with the lobes, the place of the 5th gland beins? occupied bv the 

 bending pedicel of the ovary which springs from the centre of the involucre, and 

 becomes strongly recurved, the ovary turning completely over. A secondary 

 peduncle frequently proceeds from the primary pair of floral leaves, occasionally, 

 perhaps, more than one. 



The sap of the plant is milky, but does not appear to have vesicatory proper- 

 ties. The natives have no name for it, and do not appear to use it in any way. 



Fig. 1, flower head; 2, same opened two glands removed; 3, a gland all 

 enlarged, 



