588 cxxii. EUPnoRBiACE^ (brown). [Eiiphorhia. 



1G7. E. abyssinica, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. ed. 13, ii. (vii.) 759. A 

 large tree, with leafless spiny succulent branches. Young unbranched 

 plants () in. in diam., 8-angled, becoming branched and cylindric and 

 woody with age ; main branches whorled, frequently S-augled, with 

 alternate branchlets all curved-ascending, forming a large obconic 

 flat-topped crown ; brancldets with numerous constrictions, forming 

 broad rounded scollops to the wing-like angles ; margin of the scollops 

 appM.rently even. Spines in groups of 5, " four on the sides and one 

 in the centre, scarce half an inch long, fragile and of no resistance, 

 hut exceedingly sharp and pointed " {Bruce), but in the figure re- 

 presented as being in pairs and widely diverging. C}mes crowded 

 at the top of the branciilets. Involucres with 5 transversely elliptic 

 yellow glands. Capsule with a distinct flesh\ 3-lobed calyx at its base, 

 exserted on a stout pedicel, 3-angled, glabrous, at first green, becoming 

 deep crimson streaked with white, apparently with thick woody cell- 

 walls. Seeds globose. — Raeuschel, Nomencl. Bot. ed. 1797, 139. Kol- 

 quall^ Bruce, Travels, v. 41, with 2 plates. E. offidnarum^ var. Kolqnally 

 Willd. Sp. PI. ii. 884. 



Xrile l^and. Eritrea: on Taranta Mountain, Bruce. 



In books and gardens several species have been mistaken ior E.ahyssinica, Gmel., 

 but none of them agree with Bruce's description of tlie plant from Taranta Mountain, 

 upon which tbe species was founded. Unfortunately l^ruce's description dots not 

 accord (as to the spines) with his figures, but it is quite poss'ble, tliat tbe 

 latter was not u)ade from the Taranta plant, since it is very evident tliat he 

 confused other speciis with it, as m»y be tieen from hi* remark: "As we went 

 west, the tree turned poor, the branches were few, seldom above 2 or 3 ribs or 

 divisions, and these not deeply indented, whereas those of Taranta hud frequently 

 eight." So that until good specimens of llie plnnt are obtained from Taranta 

 Mountain, which no subsequent < oUector seems to have visited, no accurate description 

 of the plant can be given. Bruce states that "the only use the Ab^ssinians make of 

 this is foj- tanning hides, at least for taking off the first hair." 



1()8. E. controyersa, X. K. Br. A tree, succulent, leafless, spiny. 

 Flowering brandies 4-angled, 1J-3J in. square from angle to angle, 

 constricted into lanceolate, ovate, elliptic or suborbicular segments, 

 with the central solid part nearly 1 J in. square in the only section seen 

 and about as thick as the wing-like angles are broad ; angles about J in. 

 thick at the even (not sinuate-toothed) margins. Spine-shields separate, 

 but sometimes crowded. Spines (sometimes rudimentary or absent on the 

 flowering branches) J-2 lin. long, stout, rigid, in pairs 4-9 lin. apart, not 

 very (liver<>aiig, daik brown, on triangular-obovate horny shields 2-3 lin. 

 long and broad, shortly decurrent and obtusely rounded below the spines, 

 sometimes, together with the flowering-eyes, crowded into a contiguous 

 series, but not really united into a continuous horny margin to the 

 angles. Flowering-eyes rather large, touching the spine-shields. Cymes 

 crowded, 2-3 from each flowering-eye, on peduncles 1-1 J lin. long, each 

 with 3 involucres. Bracts 2-2 J lin. long, suborbicular, concave, keeled 

 on the back, toothed on the margin. Involucres sessile, 3-4 lin. in 

 diam., cup-shaped, with 5-G glands and 5-6 subrectangular fringed 

 lobes; glands 1A-2J lin. in their greatest diam., transverse, somewhat 



