Antidesma.] cxxii. euphorbiacele (hutchinsok). 64S 



(very rarely 2-) celled ; styles 3, very short, usually 2-lobed ; ovules 

 2 in the cell. Drupes small, often oblique. Seed solitary by abortion 

 (very rarely 2), without a strophiole ; albumen fleshy ; cotyledons flat, 

 broad. — Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate. Flowers small, racemose 

 or spicate, racemes or spikes often very slender, solitary or moie 

 rarely subpaniculate towards the ends of short branchlets. Bracts 

 small, usually ciliate. 



About 80 sj^ecies, distributed thi-onghout tbe warmer regions of the Old World. 

 St pules tripartite or laciniate. 



Sepals 3, equal ; ovary glabrous . . . .1.-4. laciniatiim. 



Sepals 5, unequal ; ovary hairy . . . , 2. A. Chevalieri. 



Stipules entire. 



Female infloresconce pendulous, 16-18 in. lojig . 3. A. Siaudlii. 



Female intloresceuce (where knowMi) less than 10 in. 

 long. 

 Midrib of the leaves glabrous above . . . 4:. A. leptohotryum. 

 Midrib of tbe leaves hairy above. 



Fruits sessile ^. A. vogeliannm. 



Fruits pedicellate. 



Leaves rather large, usually obovate, oblanoeo- 

 late or elliptic-oblanceolate, usually cau- 

 date-acuminate, cuneate at the base, 

 always glabrous excepting the midrib 



and lateral nerves . . . . . Q. A, memhranaceum. 



Leaves rather small, usually elliptic or ob- 

 long-elliptic, mostly rounded at the base 

 and apex, rarely shortly and obtusely 

 pointed, often hairy and sometimes quite 

 tomentose below . . . . , 1. A. venosvm. 



1. A. laciniatumy Mull. Arg. in Flora, 1864, 520. A tree 

 15-30 ft. high; branchlets smooth or slightly wrinkled, pubescent 

 when young ; bark grey. Leaves oblong- or oblanceolate- elliptic, 

 acuminate, mucronate, mucro pubescent when young, rounded at the 

 base, 4-10 in. long, 1J-3J in. broad, rigidly membranous, glabrous 

 excepting on the nerves and midrib beneath; lateral nerves 10-13 on 

 each side, distinctly looped near the margin ; tertiary nerves and veins 

 lax, prominent only on the lower surface ; petiole 3-4 lin. long, stout, 

 pubescent ; stipules deeply 3-5-partite, oblong or obovate, up to | in. 

 long and J in. broad, densely pubescent ; lobes lanceolate, acute. Male 

 raoemes 2-2J in. long ; peduncle pubescent ; bracts linear, \ lin. long, 

 long-pilose. Sepals 3 (rarely 4), ovate, obtuse, scarcely J lin. long. 

 Disk annular, fleshy, glabrous. Stamens 3. Rudimentary ovary 

 linear-terete, glabrous. Female racemes at the time of flowering- 

 2-3 in. long, attaining about 6 in. when in fruit; axis pubescent; 

 bract as in the male. Sepals 3, ovate, acute, J lin. long, pilose on both 

 sides. Disk saucer- shaped, glabrous. Ovary ellipsoid, glabrous; styles 

 terminal. Fruit ellipsoid, about 4 lin. long, glabrous. — Mull. Arg. in DC. 

 Prodr. XV. ii. 260 ; De Wild. :fitudes Fl. Bas- et Moyen-Congo, ii. 270. 



Upper Guinea. Interior of Western Lagos, JRow/a«t/ .' Southern Nigeria: 

 Uregin, north of Benin City, Unwin, 1 13 ! Fernando Po, Mann, 201 ! 256 ! Barter t 



