Tetrorchidium 



EUPHORBIACE^ 



317 



20. TETRORCHIDIUM Poepp. 



Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, with two glands at the top 

 of the stalk. Flowers dioecious or monoecious, without petals, in 

 axillary racemes ; male racemes long, with flowers small, sessile 

 or subsessile, in clusters ; racemes, with female flowers or male 

 and female mixed, generally shorter, simple, or reduced to a 

 single stalked female flower. Calyx 3-(4-)parted, segments 



Fig. 105.— Tetrorchidium rubriveniiim Foepp. 

 Portion of leaf and male inflorescence C, Female flower x 5 ; d, disk ; s, sepal. 



X § ; 9> P^if of elands. 

 B, Male flower and buds x 5. 



D, Ditto cut lengthwise X 5 ; d, disk ; 

 «, sepal. 



slightly imbricate. Male flowers : Disk none. Stamens 3, 

 opposite to the segment?) of the calyx, united into a globular mass 

 in the bud, at length scarcely free ; anthers sessile, opening 

 inwardly, 4-celled, 4-valved. Rudiment of ovary club-shaped, as 

 long as the anthers, or minute. Female flowers (in T. ruhrivenium) : 

 Disk consisting of three petal-like linear glands. Os^ary 2-(3-) 

 celled ; stigmas 2, 2-lobed, sessile, spreading star-like ; ovules 

 solitary in each cell. Capsule splitting up into two or three 

 2-valved cocci. Seeds fleshy outside, not carunculate. 



Species 4, natives of tropical America (including "West 

 Indies). 



T. pubrivenium Poepj). Nov. Gen. & Sp. in. 23, /. 227 (1845) ; 

 Muell Arg. in DC. Prodr. xv. pt. 2, 1133 & in FL Bras. xi. 



