Erythrococca.\ cxxii. etjphorbiace^ (prain). 859 



strongly spinescent. Flowers minute, in peduncled narrow spike-like 

 racemes : peduncles J-J in. long, sparingly pubescent ; rhachis up to 

 H in, long, sparingly pubescent ; pedicels glabrous, males y\j- in. long, 

 clustered and sometimes towards the base of the raceme on distant 

 minute 6-10-flowered spikelets, females ^., in. long, solitary, very rarely 

 towards the base of the raceme 2 to a bract. Male calyx green, 

 pubescent at the apex, globose in bud ; lobes 4, occasionally 5, mem- 

 branous, divided beyond the middle ; tube wide campanulate. Stamens 

 usually 12 ; outer 6, the rest central ; filaments longer than the anthers ; 

 glands, relatively large, as long as the filaments, hirsute, all narrow 

 oblong ; 1 2 outer united at the base in pairs, but the pairs free, in an 

 extra-staminal ring, the rest inter-staminal. Female calyx smaller 

 than the male, 8-lobed ; lobes ciliate. Ovary glabrous, 8- (very rarely 2-) 

 celled ; stigmas free, linear, patulous, fimbriate-laciniate throughout. 

 Disk of 8, rarely 2, ovate-oblong discrete scales, twice as long as the 

 calyx-lobes. Capsule usually 8-coccous, sometimes 2-coccous, didymous, 

 occasionally by abortion 1 -coccous ; cocci J in. across. Seed with a red aril 

 lobed at the apex and not quite enveloping the seed, and with a finely 

 foveolate-reticulate testa. — Prain in Ann. Bot. xxv. Olo. E. aculeata, 

 De Wild.& Durand, Contrib. Fl. Congo, i. 50, and Reliq. Dewevr. 209 ; 

 Th. ct Hel. Durand, Syll. Fl. Congol. 491, partly : not of Benth. 



Iiower Guinea. French Congo : Onbangi; Kvehidje, Fovt S\hnt, Chevalier, 

 5617! 



South Central. Jielgian Congo: Equatorial district; Coquilhatville, 

 Bewhvre, 692 ! 



A very distinct species. 



18. E. Laurentii, Prain m Keio Bulletin^ 1911, 186. Shrub; 

 twigs glabrous ; bud-scales persistent. Leaves short-petioled, mem- 

 branous, ovate, acutely acuminate, base cuneate, margin faintly crenate, 

 8 in. long, 1 J in. wide, dark green, glabrous ; petiole stout, \ in. long, 

 glabrous ; stipules accrescent, veiy strongly spinescent. Flowers 

 minute, in short-peduncled narrow spike-like racemes; peduncles J in. 

 long and rhachis up to o in. long very sparingly pubescent ; pedicels 

 glabrous, males not seen, females ^ in. long, solitary, jointed at the 

 base. Male calyx not seen. Female calyx small, o-lobed ; lobes ciliate. 

 Ovary glabrous, 8-celled ; stigmas free, linear, patulous, fimbriate- 

 laciniate throughout. Disk of 8 ovate-oblong discrete scales twice as 

 long as the calyx-lobes. Capsule not seen. — Prain in Ann. Bot. xxv. 

 615. E. aculeata, De Wild. Miss. K Laurent, 129 ; Th. ik Hel. Durand, 

 Syll. Fl. Congol. 491, partly : not of Benth. 



South Central. Belgian Congo: Lie, on the Aruwinii Kiver, Za»reH^ .' 

 A very distinct species, which differs very markedly in foliage both from 

 E. siibspicata and E. Foggeophyton, but as regards female flowers agrees with the 

 former. 



14. E. Poggeophyton, Prain in New Bulletin, 1911, 187. 

 Shrub ; twigs pubescent, at length nearly glabrous ; bud-scales de- 

 ciduous. Leaves short-petioled, membranous, oblong-lanceolate, acute, 



