Euphorbia.'] cxxii. euphorbiace.^ (brown). 555 



This is readily distinguished from E. Schimperi, Presl, by the scarcely divergiuf^ 

 branches and much longer rays of the umbel. Several perfectly distinct species 

 bearing a superficial resemblance to one another have al.«o been mistaken for 

 E. Schimperiywhich does not seem to occur in Africa. Possibly the plant collected in 

 East Shoa by Rosen and named E. Schimperi by Pax in Kngl. Jahvb. xxxix. G3I, 

 way belong here. I have not seen it. 



101. E. Merkeriy iV. E. Br. A shrub or tree (?), with woody (or 

 perhaps somewhat succulent when young) branches, leafless and spineless. 

 Branches of the specimens seen up to a foot or more long and nearly 

 straight, with few or no branchlets, terete, up to 2 lin. thick, marked 

 with scattered alternate leaf-scaj-s, glabrous, green, becomiiig dark 

 greyish with age. Leaves not seen, evidently very soon deciduous. 

 Umbels terminal, \-\ in. in diam,, of 3-5 simple glabrous rays 2-3 lin. 

 long, each bearing 1 involucre sessile between a pair of thin orbicular 

 or orbicular-obovate bracts 1-1 J lin. in diam., broadest near the apex, 

 minutely apiculate. Involucre about 2 lin. in diam., cup-shaped, glabrous, 

 with 4 (in male involucres perhaps 5) glands and 5 subquadrate or trans- 

 verse toothed lobes ; glands l-lj lin. in their greater diam., transversely 

 oblong to suborbicular. Ovary obtusely 3 -angled, far exserted on a 

 pedicel 2 lin. or more long, glabrous ; styles § lin. long, very shortly united 

 at the base, then widely spreading, rather stout, bihd at the apex. 



Mozamb. Distr. German East Africa: between No:aruka and Lake Xatroii, 

 Merker, 580 ! Son jo Sale, Merker, 581 ! east of Moriio, UhlU/, 292 ! 



102. E. consobrina, X. E. Br. A much-branched shrub, almost 

 woody, but perhaps with a somewhat succulent bark, leafless except 

 on the very young branchlets, spineless, glabrous, perhaps glaucous. 

 Branches numerous, alternate, diverging, simple or forked, J-lf lin. 

 thick, terete, with prominent leaf -scars. Leaves sessile, l|-3 lin. long, 

 linear-lanceolate, acute, somewhat fleshy, spreading, soon deciduous. 

 Umbel terminal with a whorl of leaves at its base, of 3 or fewer simple 

 rays lJ-5 lin. long, each bearing 1 involucre with a pair of elliptic or 

 elliptic-oblong obtuse apiculate bracts 1 J lin. long at its base. Involucres 

 1 J-2 lin. in diam., broadly and shallowly cup-shaped, glabrous, with 4 

 glands and 5 subquadrate suhentire slightly ciliate lobes ; glands about 

 I lin. in their greater diam., transversely elliptic or suborbicular, 

 yellowish (?); ovary glabrous, exserted on a pedicel IJ-lJ lin. long and 

 curved to one side ; styles nearly 1 lin. long, shortly united at the base, 

 ascending, with bifld tips. Capsule and seeds not seen. 



irile land. Nubia : Erkowit Mountain, Schweinftirth, 265 ! Wady Teekc, 

 between Suakin and Berber, Schweinfurth, 207 ! 



The more slender and more woody branches, which in some cases seem almost 

 spine-tipped, and the more compactly and very difPerently branched hal)it, readily 

 distinguish this from its allies. It bears very little resemblance to E. JSc/iimperi, 

 Presl, under which name it has been distributed by German botanists. Sihtvein- 

 furtk, 924, from the Soturba Mountains, may also belong to this species, but is in an 

 immature state, the secondary or pedunculate involucres being in a very rudimentary 

 conilition at the base of the primary involucre of tlie umbel. 



