Ayrostistachys.] cxxii. euphorbiace^ (prain). 82y 



obovate. Stamens 5-20, inserted on a convex glabrous or pubescent 

 receptacle; filaments filiform, free or slightly united below, surrounded 

 or not by a ring of extra-staminal glands ; anther-cells pendulous from 

 a thickened connective, the cells nearly free, dehiscing longitudinally. 

 Rudimentary ovary present or 0. Female : Calyx as in the male. 

 Petals as in the male, but very deciduous. Disk annular, thick, with 

 or without minute staminodes. Ovary 3-celled ; ovules in each cell 

 solitary ; styles 3, spreading, 2-partite. Capsule dry or somewhat 

 fleshy, breaking up into 3 2-valved cocci ; endocarp crustaceous. Seeds 

 subglobose ; testa crustaceous, shining; albumen thick, fleshy; embryo 

 straight or slightly curved ; cotyledons broad, flat. — Trees with glabrous 

 branches. Leaves alternate, petioled or subsessile, large, entire or 

 dentate, peninnerved ; stipules often leaving an annular scar. Flowers 

 minute, in lateral cylindric close or open spike-like racemes ; males 

 several to a bract, females solitary. 



Species 8 or 9, one in our area, one in the Mascarene Islands, the rest South-east 

 Asiatic. 



1. A. africana. Mull. Arg, in Flora, 1864, 534. Small tree, 

 25 ft. high ; young shoots glabrous. Leaves distinctly petioled, firmly 

 membranous, oblong, acute, base wide-cuneate or almost rounded, 7-1 5 in. 

 long, 3-6 in. wide, rather pale green, dull and glabrous on both surfaces, 

 with 2 basal glands on the upper side at the junction of blade and 

 petiole; petiole glabrous, 1-2 in. long, narrowly winged towards the 

 apex : stipules glabrous, striate, connate in an acuminate sheath I-l|^ in. 

 long enclosing the next succeeding leaf and falling oflT as this expands 

 leaving a horizontal scar. Racemes axillary, 2-3 in. long, somewhat 

 spike-like, rhachis sparingly puberulous ; bracts striate, subscarious, 

 ovate-oblong, 2-fid, resembling the stipules but smaller, only 2-2J lin. 

 long and as much apart; pedicels 2-3 lin. long, puberulous, articulate 

 near the base. Male : Calyx closed in bud, glabrous, irregularly 

 valvately lobed ; lobes reflexed. Petals 5, white, imbricate. Stamens 

 20-21 ; filaments free, glabrous, 4-seriately arranged on a convex pilose 

 receptacle ; receptacular glands 0. Female : Calyx and petals as in 

 the males. Disk thick, annular, accompanied by minute staminodes like 

 short male filaments. Ovary densely pilose. Fruit not seen. — DC. 

 Prodr. XV. ii. 725 ; Hiern in Cat. Afr. PI. Welw. i. 973 ; Pax in Bolet. 

 Soc. Brot. X. 160. 



Upper Guinea. Fernando Po, i»t 4000 ft., Mann, 582 ! 



Xiower Guinea. Island of St. Thomas, Mann, 1079 ! Welwilsch, 441 ! 

 Quintas, 23 ! 



49. CAPERONIA, St. Hil. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. iii. 304. 



Flowers monoecious, rarely dioecious, dichlamydeous. Male : Calyx 

 closed in bud, ovoid or subglobose, splitting into 5 valvate lobes. 

 Petals 5, imbricate, subequal, or with the two lowest distinctly or much 

 smaller than the other 3 or casually obsolete. Disk obsolete. Stamens 

 usually 10; filaments connate below in a column, distinctly 2-seriate 



