Euphorbia.'] cxxii. eupiiorbiace.e (brown). 573 



Partly described from livinj^ plants cultivated at Kew, which were sent from 

 Uganda by Mr. E. Brown. 



E. heterochroma is placed by Pax in a g-roiip supposed to be characterised by the 

 presence of 4 spines to each spine-shield, whilst E. Stuhlmanni't is placed in anotlier 

 group having only 2. But the 4 spines in this, as in all other cases, are composed of 

 the usual pair of spines developed below each leaf and a pair of small jjrickles or 

 rarely spines (really stipules) placed one on each side of the leaf-scar. These ])rickles 

 are sometimes well developed, sonu'times (pute absent on the same branch, and 1 find 

 them to be, in most cases, quite useless for distinctive purposes. E. Jielerochroma 

 is a case in point, for on some parts of the specimens com])osing the ty])e t^-athering 

 the prickles are well developed, and on the other parts (even of the same branch) they 

 ai-e quite absent. They are absent from Fiic/ier, 182, and from the type specimen 

 of E. Stuhlmannii^ in which the sjiines are reduced to mere points, but that is 

 certainly specifically identical with E. heterochroma. The species is verv distinct 

 from all those most nearly allied to it and easily recognised by itslong-exseited small 

 cajisule. Goetze, 463 and 465, from Uhehe, GeruKin East Africa, are also quoted 

 by Pax xwEngl. Jahrh.-s.\\\\\.4!2\, as belonging to E. Slnhlmaiinii. I have not seen 

 the specimens, but as they are stated to belong to a tree G-36 ft, high the identiticatiou 

 seems doubtful, Var. mitis I believe to be merely a more or less starved condition 

 of the plant. 



lo6. E. tetracantha, liendle in Joum. Bot. l.^OO, 1:50. A dwarf 

 leafless densely spiny succulent, about in. liigli, branching from the 

 base into many 4-angled stems about '1\ lin. thick when dried ; angles 

 not very prominently toothed, with continuous or slightly interru]>ted 

 horny grey margins. Spines in groups of 4, of which the upper pair 

 are :^-6 lin. long and the lower pair (J-lO lin. long, nil needle-like, 

 ascending-spreading and slightly diverging, dark grey. Flowering- eyes 

 in the axils of the shorter pairs of spines. Involucres 3 together, very 

 small, sessile (really forming a sessile cyme), with minute scale-like 

 bracts at their base, obconic-campanulate, about 1 lin, in diam. and 

 scarcely as long, most minutely scaberulous, with h glands and 5 

 sa))(i[uadrate shortly toothed lobes ; glands J-fj^ lin. in their greater 

 diam,, apparently suberect, transverse, with the outer margin much 

 infolded at the middle, so as to form a deep notch there, and the inner 

 margin raised into a slight rim. Ovary (not seen) on a pedicel }-; lin. 

 long ; styles undivided [lieiuUe). — Pax in Engl. Jahrb. xxxiv. 375. 



KTlle Xiand, ISomaliland: Shebele, DonaUhon Smith! 



137. E. subsalsa, lllern in Cat. Afr. PL Webr. i. 1)48. A succulent 

 leafless spiny shrub, up to 4 ft. high, w'ith numerous stems arising from 

 the same base, sometimes flow^ering when less than 1 ft. high. Branches 

 J-| in. thick when dried, 4-angled, glabrous, light green ; angles some- 

 what compressed, toothed, with interrupted or occasionally subcon- 

 tinuous horny brown or dark grey margins, from the long-decurrent 

 narrow spine-shields. Spines stoutly needle-like, in double pairs, with 

 the larger pairs J-| in. apart, 2-0 lin. long, divergent and the small pair 

 at their base J-2 lin. long, widely spreading, brown or dark grey. 

 Leaves rudimentary, scale-like, minute. Involucres 3 together in the 

 axils of the tubercles along the terminal part of the branches, sessile, 

 about IJ lin. in diam,, cup-shaped, glabrous, with 5 glands and •") 



