930 cxxii. EUPHORBiACEiE (prain). [Mallotus. 



almost or quite glabrous beneath. — DC. Prodr. xv. ii. 977. Rottlera dentata, Baill. 

 Adausonia, i. 69, partly. 



Mozamb. Blstr. German East Africa : Dar-es-Salanm, iTir^, 141 ! Schulze! 

 Hoist, 892 ! Engler, 2180 ! Vikindo, Stuhlmann, 6106 ! 6130 ! Tambani, Stuhl- 

 mann, 6150 ! 



Also in Madagascar. 



The status of the four varieties here recognised is somewhat unequal. It is 

 possible that Beille is justified in treating M. Chevalieri, which is ocrtninly 

 identical with Claoxylon cordifolinm, Benth., as a species distinct from the other 

 three varieties. On the other hand the difference between Pax's variety pubescens 

 and Miiller's variety glahrata is one of degree only, not of kind ; while they may 

 be kept varietally apart, they are clearly conspecific. Even if these two be 

 treated as undeserving of separate recognition the form distinguished by Miiller 

 as var. integrifolia must still be considered a distinct variety of the species to 

 which the thinner-leaved iovm% '' puhescens"' and "glahrata" belong. It is not 

 clear whether Gieseler intended to include in his Croton opposiiifolius both 

 Claoxylon cordifolivm, the purple-stamened plant, and the forms with yellow 

 stamens; if he meant his description to apply only to one of the two it is not clear 

 which of them he hud in view. 



GG. CliEIDION, Blume ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. iii. 320. 



Flowers monoecious or dicecious, apetalous. Male : Calyx globose, 

 closed in bud, splitting into ?>-\ valvate lobes. Stamens numerous, 

 crowded on a convex or conical receptacle ; filaments free ; anthers 

 dorsifixed ; connective sometimes apiculate ; cells transversely didymous. 

 Rudimentary ovary 0. Female : Sepals usually 3-5 (rarely 5), imbri- 

 cate. Ovary 2-3-celled ; styles long, slender, deeply 2-fid; ovules 

 solitary in each cell. Disk 0. Capsule 2-3-coccous ; cocci 2-valved. 

 Seeds subglobose ; testa coriaceous ; albumen fleshy ; cotyledons broad, 

 flat. — Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, petioled, glabrous, usually 

 toothed, penninerved. Male flowers in lax axillary racemes, solitary or 

 clustered. Female flowers long-peduncled, solitary or geminate, axillary. 

 Capsule smooth. 



Species about 15, throughout the tropics of both hemispheres. 



Leaves shortly petioled, obovate-oblong, much narrowed to 



the base; male racemes simple ..... 1. C. gabonicum. 



Leaves long-petioled, ovate or oblong, bas^e rounded ; male 



racemes branching • , . • « » »2. C Preussii. 



1. C. gabonicum, Baill. Adansonia, xi. 129. A dioecious shrub 

 {Griffon du Bellay) or tree about 50 ft. high {Johnson) ; young branches 

 sparingly pubescent. Leaves shortly petioled, alternate, obovate-oblong, 

 acuminate, 4-7 in. long, 1^-2 J in. wide, much narrowed to the base, 

 slightly crenately toothed, membranous, dark green, glabrous on both, 

 surfaces, with 4-5 pairs of ascending secondary nerves, looping to make 

 a scalloped intra-marginal vein continuous with a pair of basal nerves ; 

 midrib, veins and reticulations prominent beneath ; petioles softly 

 pubescent, i- J in. long ; stipules ovate, acute, somewhat pubescent out- 

 side, J in. long. Male spikes rather lax, slender, 4-10 in. long, axillary ; 



