Aleurites EUPHOHBIACE^i 315 



into two or three lobes. Petals 5, longer than the calyx, Male 

 flowers : Stamens 1 5-20 in the Jamaican species, attached to a 

 conical receptacle ; the five outer opposite the petals and alternate 

 with small glands. No rudiment of an ovary. Female flowers : 

 Ovary 2-5-celled, generally 2-celled in A. moluccana ; styles as 

 many as the cells, divided into two branches ; ovules solitary. 

 Fruit large, fleshy outside, indehiscent. Seeds without a 

 caruncle ; seed-coat thick, woody ; endosperm thick, hard. 



Species 4, natives of Eastern Asia and Polynesia, one of which 

 (A. moluccana) is found also naturalized throughout the tropics. 



A. molueeana Willd. Sp. PL iv. 590 (1805) ; Muell. Arq. in 

 DC. Prodr. XV. p. 2, 723 & in Fl. Bras. xi. pt. 2, 304, /.' 45 ; 

 Watt Diet. Econ. Prod. Ind. ; HooJc. f. FL Brit. Ind. v. 384 ; Urh. 

 Sj/mb. Ant. iv. 348; Pax in EngL PJlanzenreich iv. 147. 129. 

 Jatropha moluccana L. Sp. PL 1006 (1753). Aleurites triloba 

 Forst. Char. Gen. 112 (1776); Griseh. FL Br. W. Ind. 37. Type 

 in Herb. Hermann in Herb. Mus. Brit. 



Candle Nut. 



Naturalized ; Knowsley Park, 2550 ft., Miss Wood. Native of Jlalaya 

 and Polynesia, naturalized in the tropics. 



Tree 20-60 ft. Leaves simple or 3-5(-7-)lob€d, the simple forms 

 usually ovate, acute; lobes usually triangular, acute, 15-18 cm. 1. (1-2-5 

 dm. 1.); young leaves and twigs densely covered with stellate hairs. 

 Panicles 1-1*5 dm. 1. and br., tomentellous, with numerous white flowers. 

 Male flowers : Calyx 3 mm. 1. Petals 7-9 mm. 1. Fruit 5-6 cm. in diam., 

 olive-coloured, containing one or two large, hard seeds. 



The root yields a brown dye. The seeds contain 50 per cent, of oil, 

 which is " very fluid, of an amber colour, without smell, congealing at 

 32° P., insoluble in alcohol, readily saponifiable, and very strongly drying " 

 (U.S. Dispens.). The oil is largely exported from Polynesia, and used in 

 the candle trade ; it is superior to linseed oil as a drying oil for paint, &c. 

 Medicinally, a dose of half an ounce of the oil acts as a mild purgative ; 

 it also possesses a nutty flavour (Pharm. of India). The nuts are edible, 

 tasting like walnuts, but should be eaten with caution. (See Watt Comm. 

 Prod. Ind.)] 



19. ACIDOCROTON Griseb. 



Shrubs armed with straight diverging stipular spines, or 

 unarmed. Leaves small, pinnately veined, obovate, thick, entire. 

 Flowers few amongst the leaves, rather small, with very short 

 stalks, monoecious, with petals. Male flowers : Calyx 5-6-cleft, 

 spreading. Petals 5-7, larger than the calyx, .spreading, con- 

 torted-imbricate. Stamens numerous, attached to a hairy disk- 

 like receptacle ; anther-cells distinct, attached to a rather broad 

 connective. No rudiment of an ovary. Female flowers : Calyx 

 like that of the male. Petals rudimentary. Ovary 3-celled ; 

 styles flat, spreading, thick, broadly obovate, retuse ; ovules 

 solitary. Capsule splitting into 2-valved cocci. Seeds rather 

 large, with a white caruncle. 



Species 2, one a native of Jamaica, the other of Cuba. 



