688 CXXII. EUPHORBIACE^ (uuTCiiixsox). [Dri/peies. 



20. D. ovata, Hutchinson. An evergreen arborescent shrub or 

 tree with a pyramidal growth and dense leaves ; branches subterete ; 

 bark breaking up longitudinally, light yellow, gkbrescent ; young 

 brauchlets subterete, puberulous. Leaves ovate, rarely ovate-lanceo- 

 late, obtusely and shoitly acuminate, rounded and very unequal-sided 

 at the base, lJ-8 in. long, j-2 in. broad, thinly coriaceous, repand- 

 dentate or denticulate, glabrous on both surfaces, shining above, 

 duller below ; lateral nc rves 5-8 on each side, looped and anastomosing 

 freely well witiiin the margin, distinct on both surfaces, more prominent 

 below ; veins rather close and distinct ; petiole 2 lin. long, puberulous ; 

 stipules very small, subulate, J lin. long, pubescent, deciduous. Male 

 fascicles produced from the old wood ; pedicel 2-3 lin. long, rather 

 stout, glabrous. Sepals 5, orbicular, 2 lin. in diam., thinly coriaceous, 

 margin slightly membranous and minutely ciliolate, otherwise glabrous 

 on both surfaces. Stamens about 15 ; anthers | lin. long. ])isk central, 

 fleshy, wrinkle<l, glabrous, the marginal wrinkles or lobes protruding 

 between the ^jMses of the filaments. Fruits globose, the size of a cherry 

 ( Warnecke). Female flowers not seen. 



Upper Guinea. Togo : abundant near Lome, Wamecke, 154 ! 



Warnccke states that tlie Christians are in tlie habit of using this tree at 

 Christmas as a substitute for the one need in Europe. 



30. D. Staudtiiy Hutchinson, A tree 15-30 ft. high ; branchlets 

 more or less angular, glabrous and shining. Leaves elongate-oblong- 

 elliptic, shortly acuminate, rounded and slightly unequal at the base, 

 12-15 in. long, 4-5 in. broad, thinly coriaceous, serrate, with teeth 

 about I in. apart, shining, glabrous and closely reticulate on both 

 surfaces; midrib prominent on both surfaces; lateial nerves 14-16 on 

 each side, looped and anastomosing well within the margin, distinct 

 on both surfaces; cross nerves and veins prominent, the latter very 

 close and forming a fine network; petiole stout, about 4 lin. long, 

 grooved on the upper side, finely and closely wrinkled, glabrous; 

 stipules ovate, coriaceous, about 2 lin. long, deciduous. Male flowers 

 large, produced in fascicles on the old wood ; bracts ovate, coriaceous, 

 ribbed, glabrous; pedicel J-J in. long, glabrous. Sepals 5, elliptic, 

 4 lifi. long, 2 J lin. broad, rather thin, glabrous on both sides, margin 

 minutely ciliolate. Stamens numerous, inserted around the maigin of 

 the fleshy glabrous disk ; anthers 1 \ lin. long. Female flowers not 

 known. — Ci/clostemon Staudtii, Pax in Engl. Jahrb. xxvi. 326. 



Upper Guinea. Cauieroons : Lolodorf, <S^a«(f^, 122! 



31. D. spinoso-dentata, Hutchinson. liranchlets glabrous. 

 Leaves oblong-elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, shortly acuminate, unequal 

 and slightly rounded at the batse, 4-8 in. long, coriaceous, margin 

 remotely repand-dentnte, glabrous and slightly shining on both 

 surfaces ; midrib prominent below, transversely wrinkled towards the 

 base ; lateral nerves G-8 on each side, slightly prominent below, elon- 

 gated and running parallel with the margin in their upper half ; veins 



