60 FLORA OF JAMAICA Fleurya 



Stem to 12 dm. high ; stem and leaves more or less furnished with 

 bristly hairs. Leaves ovate or roundish-ovate, shortly acuminate, coarsely 

 serrate, 8-13 cm. 1. (-3 dm.). Panicles androgynous, the clusters andro- 

 gynous and female on the same panicle, sometimes the male flowers on 

 distinct peduncles. Female perianth very unequally 4-partite ; stigma very 

 short. Fruit deflexed, 1 mm. 1. or slightly more. 



4. PILEA Lindl. 



Herbs annual or perennial, more rarely shrubby at the base, 

 sometimes creeping or difiuse. Leaves opposite, of each pair 

 equal or very unequal, entire or toothed, 3-nerved or almost 

 without nerves ; stipules connate into one, intrapetiolar. Flowers 

 monoecious or dioecious in axillary cymes. Cymes solitary in the 

 axils, sometimes densely capituliform, sometimes laxly paniculate- 

 branching, sessile or stalked. Bracts small. Male flower : 

 perianth 4-partite, segments subvalvate, sometimes connate 

 below. Ovary rudimentary. Female flower : perianth 3-partite, 

 one segment (median) generally larger than the other two 

 (lateral), but sometimes a segment is developed abnormally 

 opposite to the median segment and similar to the lateral. 

 Staminodes opposite to the segments, scale-like or more or less 

 resembling the perianth-segments. Stigma sessile, penicillate. 

 Achene ovate or roundish, lenticular compressed. Seed of 

 similar form, with scarcely any endosperm ; cotyledons broad. 



More than 100 species, widely distributed throughout the 

 tropics, but wanting in Australia. 



Leaves entire. 



Leaves very small, 1-ncrved or without nerves. 

 Leaves obovate, crowded. Stem somewhat 



succulent, becoming shrubby 1. P . microphylla. 



Leaves roundish-deltoid or roundish-spathu- 



late. Stems filiform, slender, creeping.... 2. P. hemiarioides. 



Leaves 3-nerved. 



Leaves linear-lanceolate. 

 Stems naked below. Cystoliths on upper 



surface, linear 3. P. nudicaulis. 



Stems leafy below. Cystoliths on upper 



surface, punctiform 4. P. lanceolata. 



Leaves oblanceolate, 3-5 cm. 1 5. P. flavicau lis. 



Leaves oblong-lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate or 

 elliptical. 

 Cystoliths large and conspicuous on under 



surface 6. P. PaHetaria. 



Cystoliths inconspicuous beneath. 



Segments of female perianth subequal. 



Leaves 3-6 cm. 1., 1-2-2 cm. br 7. P. virgata. 



Leaves 1-2 cm. 1., -S-'S cm. br 8. P. alpestris. 



Lateral segments scarcely half as long as 



median 9. P. WeddelUi. 



