712 cxxTi. EurHORBiACE.E (hutchinson). [Phyllanthus. 



25. P. angolensis. Mull. Arg. in Journ. Bot. 1864, o29. A 

 slender annual herb 0-8 in. high ; stem and branches puberulous the 

 latter short, ascending, not more than J in. long. Leaves very small, 

 ovate or ovate-elliptic, obtuse, more or less rounded at the base, 1 \ lin. 

 long, J lin. broad, rather thick, slightly scabrous on both surfaces ; 

 petiole very short, minutely puberulous ; stipules subulate-filiform, 

 1-1 J lin. long, slightly puberulous towards the base. Male flowers: 

 solitary or subsolitary in the axils of the leaves on the lower part of the 

 branches; females solitary in the upper part. Male sepals 5, 1 -seriate, 

 elliptic, rounded at the apex, J lin. long, \ lin. broad, 1-nerved, mem- 

 branous, glabrous. Disk-glands 5, thin, smooth. Stamens 5 ; filaments 

 free; antheis dehiscing obliquely. Female sepals 5, similar to the 

 male. Disk entire, flattened, thin, glabrous. Ovary depressed-globose, 

 glabrous ; styles free to the base, very small, bilobed, lobes slightly 

 recurved, subacute. Capsule IJ lin. in diam., depressed-globose, faintly 

 striate. Seeds laterally compressed, convex on the back, minutely 

 pitted, giving the appearance of a very close striation, J lin. lon^, J lin. 

 broad on the back. — Miill. Arg. in DC. Prodr. xv. ii. 330; Hiern in 

 Cat. Afr. PI. Welw. i. 057. Diasperus angolensis^ O. Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 

 PI. ii. 598. 



£ower Guinea. AngolM : Huilla ; among low bushes between Lopollo and 

 Ferrao da Sola, Welmtsch, 332 ! 



26. P. purpureus, Midi. Arg. in Journ. Bot, 1864, 329. A • 

 shrub 5-6 ft. high, with bright purple stems and branches; stems 

 numerous, straight ; branchlets slender, glabrous. Leaves linear-lan- 

 ceolate, mucronate, J-lJ in. long, 1^-3} lin. broad, thinly coriaceous, 

 glabrous on both surfaces, greenish and slightly shining above, yellowish- 

 brown below ; lateral nerves about 6 on each side, very faint and not 

 at all raised ; petiole h Hn. long, glabrous ; stipules subulate-lanceo- 

 late, subacute, about 1 lin. long, glabrous. Male flowers : pedicel 

 about IJ lin. long, glabrous. Sepals 5, ovate or ovate-oblong, mem- 

 branous, glabrous. Disk-glands 5, transversely oblong or ellipsoid, 

 very thick and fleshy, slightly pitted, glabrous. Stamens 5 ; filaments 

 free ; anthers dehiscing longitudinally. Female flowers : pedicel a little 

 longer than in the male. Sepals 5, broadly ovate or ovate-elliptic, 

 rounded at the apex, 1 lin. long, | lin. broad, 1-nerved, membranous, 

 glabrous. Disk crenate or lobed, glabrous. Ovary smooth, glabrous; 

 styles connate in the lower half, very thick ; free portion very thick, 

 bifid at the apex, slightly wrinkled or rough. Capsule depressed- 

 globose, smooth, about 2 lin. in diam. Seeds flattened laterally, smooth. 

 —Miill. Arg. in DC. Prodr. xv. ii. 349 ; Hiern in Cat. Afr. PI. Welw. i. 

 958. Diasperus purpureus, 0. Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. ii. 600. 



Itower Guinea. Angola : Mossamedes ; in gravelly places and in the bed of 

 tlie Hiver Maioiiibo, near Pcdra de El Rt-i, Welwitsch, 329 ! 



27. P. alpestris, Beille in Bull, Soc, Bot. France, \v. Mem. viii. 56. 

 An undershrub 4-H in. high ; stems woody, short, arising from a thick 

 woody rhizome; branches short, flowering ones compressed, shortly 



