Micrococca.] cxxii. euphorbiace^ (prain). 877 



male flowers only or with male flowers throughout but terminating 

 in a solitary female flower ; or sometimes in 2-sexual racemes the 

 glomerules mostly or all with a solitary long-pedicelled female flower 

 accompanied by a few male flowers. 



Species about 9, extending from Africa through the Mascarene Islands to South- 

 eastern Asia. 



Shrubs; stamens 20 or more. 



Leaves long-petioled ; stamens not mixed with rocepta- 

 cular glands. 

 Racemes androgynous, with a single terminal female 



flower; ovary glabrous 1. M. Volkentii. 



Racemes 1-sexual, plant dioecious; ovary setose . 2, M. Holstii, 

 Leaves short-petioled; stamens mixed with inter- 

 staminal glands ; racemes 1-sexnal, plant dioecious ; 

 ovary glabrous . . . , . . . 3. iff. scariosa. 



Annual herbs ; stamens few ; usually 6, mixed with 

 inter-staminal glands; lacemes androgynous, the 

 glomerules often with each a central female flower ; 

 ovary strigose . . . . . . . . 4:. M. Mercurialis. 



1. M. Volkensii, Prain in Ann. Bot. xxv. 631. Shrub 3-6 ft. 

 high ; twigs green, sparingly adpressed-pubescent. Leaves long-petioled, 

 membranous, lanceolate, acuminate, base wide-cuneate, margin distinctly 

 glandular-serrate, 2-4 in. long, J-lJ in. wide, medium green, purplish 

 when young, paler beneath, sparingly adpressed-pubescent or glabrous 

 and minutely verrucose on both surfaces; lateral nerves 4-6 pairs, 

 ascending ; petiole glabrous or sparingly pubescent, 1-2 in. long ; 

 stipules minute. Flowers in axillary monoecious filiform racemes 3 in. 

 long ; racemes peduncled and bearing at intervals of J in. (below) to \ in. 

 (towards the apex) minute spikelets of imbricating bracteoles or higher 

 up glomerules of male flowers with a solitary terminal female flower ; 

 bracts lanceolate, ^V in. long ; male bracteoles 1-2-flowered, minute, 

 ovate, cuspidate; peduncles lJ-2 in. long and rhachis sparingly ad- 

 pressed-pubescent ; pedicels capillary, glabrous, y 2 ^^- 1^"&- ^''^ale calyx 

 greenish-purple, glabrous, depressed-globose in bud ; lobes 3, dividing 

 nearly to the base. Stamens 20 ; filaments short ; inter-staminal glands 

 0. Female calyx 3-lobed ; lobes ovate, acute, much larger than in the 

 males. Ovary dark purple, glabrous, 3-celled ; stigmas 3, sessile, linear, 

 plumosely fimbriate from the base. Disk of 3 free narrow ligulate scales 

 alternating with the cells. Capsule purple, 3-coccous; cocci 2-valved. 

 Seeds globose, purplish ; testa slightly wrinkled. — Claoxylon Volkensii^ 

 Pax in Engl. Pfl. Ost-Afr. C. 238, and in Engl. Jahrb. xxiii. 524. 



Mozaxnb. Bistr. • German East Africa : Kilimanjaro, Marangu, 7000- 

 7500 ft.. Vol kens, 1001 ! Engler, 1766 ! Uldig, 131 ! 



2. M. Holstii, Prain in Ann, Bot. xxv. ()30. Shrub 4-7 ft. high ; 

 twigs green, faintly puberulous or glabrous. Leaves long-petioled, 

 membranous, ovate or elliptic, acuminate, base wide-cuneate. margin 

 slightly glandular-serrate, 6-8 in. long, 2-2 J in. wide, medium green, 

 purplish when young, paler beneath, minutely verrucose on both surfaces, 



