Microdesmis.] cxxii. kuphoubiace^ (uutchinson). 743 



strongly looped well witliin the margin, lowermost one running along 

 the margin to above the middle of the leaf-blade, slightly immersed 

 above, very prominent below ; primary transverse nerves few, prominent 

 below, with several more or less parallel less conspicuous veins ; 

 petiole 2-4 lin. long, pubescent with stiff short hairs ; stipules short, 

 pubescent. Male flowers about 3 lin. in diam. when hilly developed ; 

 pedicel rather slender, up to 3 lin. long, tomentellous. Sepals and 

 petals as in J/, pnbenda, but a little larger. Stamens inserted about the 

 middle of the rudimentary ovary^ with the lobes of a disk protruding 

 between the filaments. Rudimentary ovary conical, glabrous. Female 

 flowers as in M. puhenda. Fruits not seen. — J/, ^ntberida, Miill. Arg. 

 in DC. Prodr. xv. ii. 1041, partly, as to Mann's Gaboon and Welwitsch's 

 Angola specimens ; Hiern in Cat. Afr. PI. Welw. i. 1)67 ; Pax in Engl. 

 Pflanzenr. Euphorb.-Cluytiese, lOG, partly, not of Hook. f. 



Upper Guinea. Cameroons: Johaun-Albrechtsliolie, iS'/a?/(f^, 545 ! Victoria, 

 Kalbrei/er, 28! Yauiule, Zenker ^^ Stoudt, 42! 61! 318, 354, 572! 007! 672! 

 Zenker, 101 \ Lolodorf, Staudt, 29! 147! Hipinde, Zenker, 1014! 1187! 1693! 

 1960 ! 2736 ! 3068 ! liatanpi, Bates, 152 ! 339 ! Efulon, Bates, 355 ! 



Xio^rer Guinea. Si)anisli Gniiit-a : on the way to Xseran<;, Teftsmann, 709 ! 

 Gaboon : Sibiui<j-e Farm, Soyaux, 41 ! 92 ! Gaboon Kiver, Mann ! Angola : 

 forests of the Alto C^ueta Mountains, from Camilungo to 8ange, Welwitsch, 355 ! 

 355 b ! 356 ! 



3G. HEVEA, Aubl.; Benth. et Hook, f . Gen. PI. iii. 2i)0. 



Flowers monoecious. Petals absent. Male flowers : Calyx ovoid or 

 globose in bud, 5-lobed, 5-dentate or truncate, valvate. Disk-glands 

 conspicuous. Stamens 5-10 ; filaments connate into a column ; anthers 

 arranged regularly or irregularly around the column in 1-2 series, 

 subsessile, those of the lower series alternating with the calyx-lobes. 

 Rudimentary ovary terminating the staminal column, mostly longer 

 than the anthers. Female flowers : Calyx as in the male. Ovary ovoid, 

 3-celled ; stigmas thick, spreading, entire or slightly 2-lobed ; ovules 

 solitary in each ovary-cell. Capsule large, breaking up into 2-valved 

 cocci ; exocarp slightly fleshy ; endocarp thick and somewhat woody. 

 Seeds large, oblong, smooth^ without a strophiole ; testa crustaceous ; 

 albumen absent or much reduced ; cotyledons thick, fleshy, equal in 

 size. — Trees, often abounding in latex. Leaves alternate, long-petiolate, 

 trifoliolate; leaflets stalked, entire, penninerved, membranous or coria- 

 ceous. Flowers in panicles of cymules, the central flower of each cymule 

 $ , the rest ^ . 



Species about 18, occurring in the tropics of South America. A doscription of 

 Hevea hrasiliensis, Miill. Arg., the well-known Para rubber tree, is included in this 

 work on account of its extensive cultivation in Africa. 



1. H. brasiliensis, Midi. Arg. in Linnaa, xxxiv. 204. A tree 

 attaining a height of 60 ft. ; branchlets subterete, glabrous. Leavea 

 digitately trifoliolate ; leaflets stalked, elliptic or elliptic-oblanceolate, 

 acuminate to an obtuse or subacute apex, more or less narrowed to the 



