Mcesohotri/a.] cxxii. EUPHORBiACEiE (hutchinson). 663 



27. M-ffilSOBOTRYA, Benth. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. iii. 284. . 



Flowers dioecious. Petals absent. Male flowers: Calyx 5-fid or 

 5- (rarely 4-) partite, imbricate. Disk-glands 5, alternating with the 

 filaments, large and fleshy, often contiguous. Stamens 5 (rarely re- 

 duced to 4), opposite the calyx-lobes ; filaments free ; anthers erect ; 

 cells parallel, contiguous or distinct, dehiscing longitudinally. Rudi- 

 mentary ovary columnar or obconic, fleshy, usually hairy. Female 

 flowers : Calyx as in the male. Disk hypogynous, cupular, clasping the 

 base of the ovary, entire and often ciliolate. Ovary 2-4-celled ; styles 

 short, small, bitid, slightly recurved, glabrous; ovules 2 in each cell. 

 Fruits subglobose or ellipsoid, loculicidal, mostly 1-seeded by abortion ; 

 pericarp thin and membranous. Seeds (where known) ellipsoid ; testa 

 thin ; cotyledons green, broad and flat ; albumen scanty. — Trees or 

 shrubs, rarely climbers. Leaves alternate, petiolate, entire or repand- 

 dentate or denticulate, penninerved. Stipules usually deciduous, subu- 

 late or falcate. Flowers racemose or subspicate, axillary or produced in 

 clusters on the old wood, each flower subtended by a solitary bract. 



Species about 12, endemic. 



Stipules foliaceous, falcate, persistent or subpersistent. 

 Leaves obscurely setulose-denticulate, midrib and late- 

 ral nerves setiilose below ; stipules about 7 lin. long 

 and 4 lin. broad . . . . . . . 1. M. Dusenii. 



Leaves distinctly repand-denticulate, teeth without 

 setae, midrib and lateral nerves glabrous below ; 



stipules about 3 lin. long and 1^ lin. broad . . 2. M. hertramiana. 



Stipules small, neither foliaceous nor falcate, soon falling 

 off. 

 Inflorescences axillary, produced on or towards the base 

 of the young leafy branchlets. 

 Leaves distinctly repand-denticulate or dentate. 

 Ovary glabrous. 



Petioles rather stout, ^-1^ in. long, not pulvi- 

 nate at the apex ; inf ructescence slender, 

 3-4 in. long, bearing numerous fruits . 3. M. florihunda. 



Petioles slender, 1-2 in. long, slightly pulvinate 

 at the apex ; infructescence 2^-3^ in. long, 

 bearing not more than about 15 fruits . 4. M. sparsijlora. 



Ovary setulose or densely pilose below. 



Leaves setulose or pilose on the midi'ib and 



lateral nerves below ; ovary densely pilose . 10. M. Barteri, 

 Leaves almost glabrous on the midrib and lateral 



nerves below ; ovary sparingly setulose . 5. M. hirtella. 



Leaves entire. 



Ovary glabx'ous . . . . . . . Q. M. paucijiora. 



Ovary tomentose or spai'ingly setulose. 



Leaves elliptic or obovate-elliptic ; ovary densely 



white-tomentose '7. M. hipindensis. 



Leaves oblong; ovary sparingly setulose . . 8. -If. ohlonga. 

 Inflorescences produced in fascicles on the old wood of 

 the stem or on the old leafless branches of several 

 years' growth. 



