Maiiihot.^ cxxii. EUPHORBiACEiE (prain). 843 



hitherto been reported from America or elsewhere. These, while agreeing in all 

 essential flonil and fruit characters with typical M. utilissima, differ from tlie type 

 and from eacli otlur so greatly as regards their foliage that they deserve recognition 

 as distinct varieties. Barter has noted on h specimen of typical M. utilissima from 

 Nupe, S. Nigeria (Barter, 1497) that he found the plant growing as if wild; adding, 

 however, " no doubt remains of former cultivation." 



Var. hyptiaphylla, Prain. Leaves long-petioled, membranous, 5-7-lobed almost 

 to the base, distinctly broader than long, the largest reacliing 10-12 in. in width; 

 lobes obovate-spathulate, obtuse, the central much the smallest, narrowed to the base 

 and there confluent in a small web ^-f in. across, each from 1^7 in. long, ^-2^ in. 

 wide; petiole 2^-10 in. long. 



Upper Guinea. Dahomey: Save, Poisson ! Southern Nigeria; Shoknn, 

 Dudgeon ! Ibadan, Johnson ! 



Var. achistaphylla, Prain. Leaves very shortly petioled, compound, S-foliolate; 

 leaflets long-petioluled, membranous, entire, ovate, acutely acuminate, rounded or 

 shortly cuneate at the base, 4 in. long, 1^ in. wide; petiolules 2^-4 in. long; 

 petiole ^ in. long. 



]Lower Guinea. Gaboon: Fougamou; I vea, X/aine, 8 ! 



52. CEPHALOCBOTON, Hochst. ; Benth. et Hook. f. 

 Gen. PL iii. 307. 



Flowers monoecious, apetalous. Male : Calyx globose, closed in bud, 

 splitting into 3-4 valvate lobes. Stamens 6-8 ; filaments free, 2-seriate, 

 indexed in bud with anthers erect, dorsifixed, oblong, dehiscing longi- 

 tudinally. Rudimentary ovary shortly columnar, entire or lobed. 

 Female : Sepals 5-6, long, pinnatifid, unequal. Ovary 3-celled ; styles 

 shortly connate below, free, spreading and multifid above ; ovules in 

 each cell solitary. Hypogynous disk annular, subentire. Capsule 

 3-dymous; cocci 2-valved. Seeds without a strophiole; albumen fleshy; 

 cotyledons broad, flat. — Shrubs, stellate-pubescent. Leaves alternate, 

 distinctly petioled or subsessile, 3-5-nerved at the base, entire or 

 toothed ; stipules laciniate, small. Racemes terminal, androgynous ; 

 male flowers many, clustered and subcapitate, terminal, female flowers 

 few, pedicelled, at the base of the peduncle. 

 Species about 8, in Tropical and South Africa. 

 Leaves distinctly petioled. 



Female flowers 5-6 at each peduncle-base . . .1. C. polygynus. 

 Female flowers 1-2, rarely 3, to each peduncle. 



Male calyx glabrous ; leaves finely and closely toothed 2. C. nudus. 

 Male calyx pnbescent. 



Leaves entire or subentire, softly pubescent . . 3. C. velutinus. 



Leaves distinctly toothed. 



Leaves crenate, at length almost glabrous, smooth 4. C. cordofanus. 

 Leaves dentate, persistently harshly hairy, scabrous 5. C. scabridus. 

 Leaves sessile or nearly so, entire. 



Male calyx glabrous; leaves rather harsh, when mature 



nearly glabrous 6. C Pueschelii. 



Male calyx hairy ; leaves softly pubescent . . .7. C. mollis. 



1. C. polygynuSy Pax d- K. Hoffm. in Engl. Pflanzenr. Euphorh.- 

 Adrian. 10, fig. 3, D. Shrub, 5 ft. high ; twigs somewhat floccose with 



