Securinega 



EUPHORBIACE^ 



267 



shire Hills, near Salt Ponds, Harris & Britton ! near Albion, St. Thomas ; 

 Harrisl Fl. Jam. 10,513, 10,819, 12,191.— Bahamas, Cuba, St. Thomas, 

 St. Jan, Santa Cruz. 



Shrub 6-10 ft., " the whole plant has a good deal of the appearance of 

 a young Ebony" (Browne). Branches numerous, the youngest twigs zig- 

 zag and spiny, apex ending in a spine. Leaves clustered with the flowers, 

 obovate, papery, network of veins dense and prominent, paler beneath, 



Fig. 86. — Securinega Acidoton Fawe. & Kendle. 

 A, Portion of branch with male flowers in J), Female flower x 11. 



bud X §. 



B, Male flower in bu<i x 11. 



C, Abortive ovary and styles of B X 32. 



E, Coccus with 2 seeds x i. 



F, Seed X 4, 



•5-l'5 cm. 1.; petioles 1-2 mm. 1. Pedicels 3-5 mm. 1., to 1 cm. in fruit. 

 Male flowers; Buds globular. Se2Mls roundish, smaller than in the 

 female. Styles of the abortive ovary 3, hooked at apex, as long as the 

 stamens. Female flowers : Sepals roundish, about 2 mm. 1. Styles broad 

 and thick, divided about half-way. Capsule 3-furrowed, 5 mm. in diam. 

 Seeds about 2 mm. 1., pale brown. 



3. DRYPETES Vahl. 



Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, leathery, entire, or 

 slightly wavy, with small teeth, or spiny-toothed, somewhat 

 prominently net-veined on both sides. Stipules minute, soon 

 falling. Flowers dioecious, without petals, clustered in the axils, 

 male generally numerous, female fewer. Male flowers : Sepals 

 4-6, imbricate. Disk thick, flattish-concave, pushing outwards 

 between the filaments, so that the filaments appear to be inserted 

 in notches of the disk. Stamens inserted between the calyx 



