Xuphorhia.'] cxxii. euphorbiace.e (brown). 563 



116. E. Teke, Schweinf. ex Pax in Engl. Jahrh. xix. 118. An 

 enormous tree {Schweinfurth). Young branches fleshy, 4-angled, about 

 ^ in. in diam. when dried, glabrous, armed with stipular spines. Leaves 

 B-12 in. long (including the petiole) and 1-3 in. broad or larger, 

 elongated cuneate-obovate, obtuse or rounded at the apex, gradually 

 tapering from much above the middle into the J-1 in. -long petiole, 

 coriaceous or somewhat fleshy, with the midrib prominent and rounded 

 beneath, glabrous on both sides. Spines H-2 lin. long, straight, 

 blackish, in pairs, diverging, not connected by a horny border along 

 the angles. Cymes in the axils of the leaves, sessile, composed of 2-4 

 peduncle-like branches 1 J-2J in. long, each with two smaller branches 

 J-| in. long at the apex, terminating in a sessile solitary involucre. 

 Bracts under the involucre 2J lin, long, ] J lin. broad, ovate, obtuse 

 and slightly fringed at the apex, keeled down the back, thin and sub- 

 membranous, only present on the youngest involucres, very deciduous, 

 leaving prominent rigid scars. Involucre 4^-5 lin. in diam. and about 

 2 lin. deep, broadly cup-shaped, with 5 glands and 5 broadly cuneate 

 transverse lobes, fringed with fine teeth along the truncate top, glabrous 

 outside and within ; glands 1 J-3 lin. in their greater diam., transversely 

 elliptic-oblong, entire. Ovary glabrous, on a very stout pedicel shorter 

 than the stamens, erect, with a calyx of 3 subulate lobes 1-1^- lin. 

 long, often with a smaller tooth at their base; styles 1-1 J lin.*^long, 

 very shortly united at the base, recurved-spreading, slender, with 

 minutely bifid thickened or clavate stigmas. Fruit not seen. — Pax in 

 Engl. Jahrb. xxxiv. 68. A'. Laurentii, De "Wild. Etudes Fl. Bas- et 

 Moyen-Congo, ii. 28i). 



South Central. Belp:ian Congo : Niamiiiam ; near the Kiver Diagbe, Schtveiti' 

 flirt//, 3293 ! near the River Yuru, Sc/iweinfurt/i, iii. 143. Eala (cultivated) Laurent, 

 Pynaerf, 696 ; road to Bambili Amandi, Seret, 251 ; and Bamanica, Laurent, 803 

 ex De Wilde man. 



This species so closely resembles Elceophorhia driipifera, Stapf, that in the 

 absence of fruit it might easily be referred to that genus. The pedicel and ovary, 

 however, sire not conHuent as in tliat genus; there is a distinct calyx and the young 

 fruit has the thin cell-walls of Euphorbia, instead of being very thick and tieshy as 

 iu Elceophorhia. I have not seen specimens of E. Laurentii, but find no character 

 in the brief description to distinguish it from E. Teke. 



117. E. leonensis, X. E. Br. A shrub, with fleshy (probably) 

 4-angled branches about J in. in diam. when dried, armed with stipular 

 spines, glabrous. Leaves 2J-4 in. long, |-lj in broad, cuueately 

 oblong-obovate, obtuse or rounded at the apex, gradually and acutely 

 tapering from above the middle into a short petiole, entire, coriaceous 

 or somewhat fleshy, with an acutely prominent midrib beneath, 

 glabrous on both sides. Spines 1-1^- in. long, straight, brown, in pairs, 

 not connected by a horny border along the angles. Cymes sessile, 

 apparently 3-5-flowered, |-1 in. in diam., with the glabrous branches 

 ftot more than J in. long. Bracts about 2 lin. long and 1|-2J lin. 

 broad, very broadly ovate, obtuse, mucronate, with slightly torn or 

 toothed margins, submembranous. Involucre 3J-4 lin. in diam., 2 lin. 

 deep, broadly and shallowly cup-shaped, glabrous outside and within, 



