736 cxx[i. EUPHORBiACEiE (hutchinson). [Phj/llanthics. 



both ends, 2-4 lin. long, lj-2i lin. broad, coriaceous, densely covered 

 on both surfaces with minute glands, glabrous, margins slightly- 

 recurved ; lateral nerves 5-6 on each side, thick and prominent on the 

 lower surface, much branched ; petiole short ; stipules lanceolate with 

 filiform points, 1 lin. long, reddish and somewhat membranous, margins 

 serrate. Flowers dioecious, males not known. Females solitary 

 pedicel stout, 3 lin. long, slightly angular, glabrous. Sepals 5, broadly 

 obovate, 1 lin. long, } lin. broad, rather thick and yellowish-green, 

 without any distinct median nerve, margins membranous and trans- 

 parent. Disk cupular, thin, faintly crenulate. Ovary slightly lobed, 

 globose, smooth and glabrous ; styles long, free, bilobed to about the 

 middle, lobes linear, not swollen at the tips. Capsule subgiobose, 

 slightly lobed, 1 J lin. in diam., rather fleshy. Mature seeds not seen. 

 Mozamb. Blstr. Nyasaland: Fwanibo, near Lake Tanganyika, Carson! 



32. PLUGGEA, Willd. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. iii. 270. 



Flowers dioecious. Petals absent. Male flowers : Sepals 5, imbricate. 

 Stamens 5, alternating with the disk glands ; filaments free ; anthers 

 introrse, erect, cells distinct, dehiscing longitudinally. Rudimentary 

 ovary large, deeply 2-8-partite. Female flowers : Calyx as in the male. 

 Disk flat, annular, entire or nearly so. Ovary o-celled ; styles connate 

 at the base or nearly absent, recurved or spreading, bifid ; ovules 2 in 

 ■each cell. Fruit slightly fleshy ; pericarp thin. Seeds subtriquetrons, 

 rounded on the back; testa thick and crustaceous ; albumen scanty; 

 •embryo incurved with broad and flat cotyledons. — Shrubs or trees. 

 Leaves alternate, petiolate, entire. Flowers small, in axillary fascicles, 

 male often numerous, female few or subsolitary. 

 About 10 species in the tropics generally. 



Leaves nsually obovate aiul rounded, obtusely pointed or 



emarginate ; fruits not or only very slightly lobed . L F. microcarpa. 



Leaves elliptic, acute or subacute at both ends ; fruit 



trilobed 2. F.fagifolia. 



1, P. microcarpa, Blume, Bljdr. 580. A shrub or small tree about 

 1 2 ft. high ; branches and branchlets usually angular, glabrous. Leaves 

 elliptic or obovate, obtusely pointed or the smaller ones emarginate, 

 cuneate, subacute or obtuse at the base, up to 2 J in. long and 1 J in. broad, 

 rather rigidly membranous, glabrous on both surfaces, often glaucous 

 below ; lateral nerves 5-l> on each side, slightly prominent on the lower 

 surface; veins fine and close ; petiole 1^-'^ lin. long, glabrous; stipules 

 lanceolate, margin slightly jagged. Flowers dioecious. Male flowers 

 numerous, in axillary fascicles : pedicel slender, 1 J-2 lin. long, glabrou.*:. 

 Sepals 5, unequal, the larger obovate, 1 lin. long and f lin. broad, the 

 smaller oblong, J lin. long, J lin. broad, margins membranous and jagged 

 or ciliate, otherwise glabrous. Disk-glands usually large and fleshy, 

 somewhat angular, with 3 or 4 depressions or pits on the outside, glab- 

 rous. Stamens 5 ; filaments longer than the rudimentary ovary ; anthei s 

 ^ lin. long. Rudimentary ovary tripartite; segments free for about 



