154 FLORA OF JAMAICA Neea 



elliptical, more or less acuminate, membranous, nerves and veins 

 prominulous on both sides ; N. jamaicensis Griseh. Fl. Br. W. 

 Ind. 71 (1859) ; Heimerl in Engl. Bot. Jahrh. xxi. 634. Pisonia 

 nigricans >S'm;. Prodr. 60 (1788) ct Fl. Ind. Occ. 643 ; Clioiin/ in 

 DC. Prodr. xiii. pt. 2, 442 (so far as regards reference to 

 Swartz, Jamaica). (Fig. 52.) 



WHght\ Wilsml Browns Town, Priori Yallahs Valley, 1500 ffc.; Mt. 

 Lebanon, 2500 ft. ; Petersfield, 2500 ft. ; Holly Mount, 3000 ft. ; near 

 Flamstead, 3000 ft. ; Catadupa, 1500 ft. ; Tyre ; Peckham, Clarendon, 

 2500 ft. ; Harris ! north coast ; Cuna Cuna Pass ; Hams d Britton ! 

 Fl. Jam. 5743, 6100, 6627, 6652, 9004, 9032, 9180, 10,536, 10,567, 10,818, 

 10,958, 11,036, 11,053, 11,076, 11,183, 11,207. 



Shrub or tree, 12 to 50 ft. high. Leaves 4-15 cm. 1., 2* 6-6 "5 cm. br. ; 

 petioles 1-2 cm. 1. Inflorescence lax ; flowers sessile or subsessile, yellowish. 

 Perianth, male nearly 6 mm. 1., female about 4 mm. 1. Fruit 1'2 cm. 1., 

 •8-' 9 cm. br., ellipsoidal, somewhat compressed, scarlet, ribbed (when dry). 



Tree, when of good size useful as timber. 



2. N. rotundifolia Heimerl in Urh.Symh. Ant. vii. 218 (1912) ; 

 twigs, petioles, inflorescence and buds red-tomentellous ; leaves 

 broadly elliptical to almost roundish, thinly leathery, nerves 

 slightly prominulous on both sides, veins flat and inconspicuous. 



Peckham, Clarendon, 2500 ft., Hairis ! Fl. Jam. 10,986. 

 Tree 26 ft. high. Leaves 6-11-5 cm. 1., 4-3-8-8 cm. br.; petiole 

 1*2-2 -5 cm. 1. Flowers sessile or subsessile. 



To this family (Nyctaginacese) belong Bougainvillea spectabiliit 

 Willd. and B. glabra Choisy, climbing shrubs with tubular 

 flowers inserted one on each of 3 large coloured bracts, natives 

 of Brazil and commonly grown in tropical and subtropical 

 gardens. 



Family XVIII. PHYTOLACCACE^. 



Shrubs or herbs sometimes woody at the base, generally 

 glabrous. Leaves alternate, entire. Stipules wanting or small. 

 Flowers in tenninal or axillary racemes, generally green or white, 

 ■with bracts and 2 bracteoles. Flowers hermaphrodite. Perianth 

 with 4 or 5 segments, imbricate in bud, persistent. Petals 

 wanting except in Stegnosperma. Stamens either of the same 

 number as the perianth-segments and alternate with them, oi- 

 more and inserted irregularly or opposite and alternatel}' ; 

 filaments generally persistent and anthers deciduous. Ovary 

 free, of one or several one-ovuled carpels (except Microtea) ; style 

 short or wanting. Ovules shortly stalked, basilar. Fruit of one 

 carpel, a berry, or of several carpels. Seeds erect (enclosed by 

 an aril in Stegnoaperma). Embryo annular, or semi-annular, 

 surrounding the endosperm, except in Petiveria and Stegno- 



