248 FLOKA OF JAMAICA Securldaca 



Shrub with numerous flexible branches, bending at the tip, forming 

 large open hooks for support. Leaves elliptical, apex obtuse or sub- 

 emarginate, base obtuse or rounded, 3 -5-7 cm. 1., generally much smaller, 

 about 1 • 5 cm. 1. on the inflorescence ; veins densely reticulated and pro- 

 minent on both sides, upper surface glabrous or minutely puberulous at 

 base, beneath minutely tomentose or puberulous. Inflorescence to 5 dm. 1. 

 and more. Sepals puberulous on the outside towards the base, ciliolate, 

 two elliptical, narrowed on the lower half of one side, about 3 mm. 1. ; the 

 third elliptical, concave, 4 mm. 1. Wings about 9 mm. 1., about 6 mm. 

 br., unequal-sided, broadly elliptical, one side somewhat straight, wedge- 

 shaped at the base forming a claw 3 mm. 1. Petals broadly obovate above, 

 oblong below, much curved and concave, about 7*5 mm. 1., upper portion 

 2*5-3 mm.br.; lateral linear-lanceolate, 1 mm. 1. Keel: blade ciliolate, 

 7-8 mm. 1. (as folded together), 4-5 mm. br., somewhat ovate; apex 

 forming an ample folded minutely toothed crest, about 1 mm. 1. ; claw 

 •5 mm. 1. Staniinal sheath about 7 mm. 1. ; free filaments about 2 mm. 1. 

 Ovary about 1*2 mm. 1., shortly stalked, margined on one side, appendage 

 on the other side ovate, acute, produced beyond the ovary about "Smm. 1. ; 

 style about 1 cm. 1. Fruit: seed-case 6 mm. 1., 5-6 mm. br. (incl. 

 margin), reticulate with prominent lines in the upper part, with a pro- 

 minent nerve from the base ; wing oblong-elliptical, about 4 cm. 1., about 

 1*4 cm. br., with apex rounded from the anterior margin, narrowing on 

 the posterior margin to form a stalk-like part 5-7 mm. 1., 2-3 mm. br., not 

 extending down the posterior side of seed-case. 



This species is included on the authority of Grisebach, but we have not 

 seen a specimen from Jamaica. Dr. O. Paulsen informs us that "it was 

 introduced into St. Cruz in the 18th century and is now quite naturalized." 

 Grisebach includes Cuba in the distribution, but the Cuban plant repre- 

 sents, we think, a difierent species. 



Family LI. EUPHORBIACE^. 



Trees or shrubs or sometimes herbs, with sap often milky, 

 occasionally poisonous. Leaves usually alternate, sometimes 

 opposite or whorled, entire or toothed, sometimes digitately 

 lobed, or with 3 or more digitate leaflets, or reduced to scales. 

 Stipules often present, small, soon falling or persistent, rarely 

 large, and sometimes enclosing the bud. Flowers unisexual, 

 monoecious or dioecious, jegular or slightly irregular. Perianth 

 often small, sometimes wanting, sometimes dissimilar in the 

 male and female flowers, either a calyx only, or calyx and 

 corolla. Male flowers : Receptacle sometimes expanded into a 

 disk within the stamens, or the glands or lobes of the disk 

 alternating with the stamens of the outer series. Stamens some- 

 times indefinite in number, sometimes as many as the sepals or 

 petals or fev/cr, or reduced to one. Filaments free or more or 

 less united. Rudiment of ovary present or absent. Female 

 flowers : Disk hypogynous, ring-like, lobed or cup-shaped, or 

 represented by distinct glands, or wanting. Ovary usually 

 3-celled ; styles as many as cells of ovary. Ovules 1 or 2 

 collateral in each cell, descending, anatropous, attached at the 

 central angle of the cells ; rhaphe ventral ; funicle expanded 



