EUPHOKBIACEAE. 227 



1. Adelia Bernardia L. Syst. ed. 10, 1298. 1759. 



Bernardia carpinifolia Griseb. Fl. Br. W. I. 45. 1859. 

 Bernardia dichotoma Miill. Arg. Linnaea 34: 172. 1865. 

 Bernardia Bernardia ^Jillsp. Fiell Mus. Bot. 2: 58. 1900. 



A tomentose shrub .75-3 m. high. Leaves petioled, ovate-oblong, 4-8 cm. 

 long, rounded at the biglandular base, tapering from the middle to a bluntish 

 point, obtusely perrate, tomentose beneath, primary veins distant, prominulous 

 beneath; stipules setaceous, 2 mm. long. Male spikes sessile, 6-12 mm. long, 

 tomentose; bracts oval, acute; calyx-lobes 3-5, ovate, acute, nearly equalling the 

 stamens; central disk minute; anthers yellow. Capsule densely appressed- 

 pubescent; seed ovate, acute, 5X4 mm., nearly smooth, brown with darker 

 brown markings, the dorsum strongly keeled, ventral surface flattened, a small 

 rounded prominence on each side of the hilum above and a minute dark raised 

 point at the extremity of the keel. 



Coppices and thickets, Eleuthera, Cat Island, Watling's Island, Rum Cay, For- 

 tune and Acklin's Islands : — Cuba to Porto Rico ; Jamaica. Referred by Hitchcock 

 to Bernardia mexicana (H. & A.) Muell-Arg. Auelia. 



13. LASIOCROTON Griseb. Fl. Br. W. I. 46. 1859. 



Shrubs or trees, with broad ste]late-tomento?e leaves. Inflorescence monoe- 

 cious, in axillary spikes, the female flowers few and inferior. Male calyi 

 4-partite; stamens 7-14, inserted upon a minute disk; anthers oblong, adnate, 

 the cells curved, introrse. Ovary globose, markedly 3-carpellate. Seeds globose, 

 ecarunculate. [Greek, velvety Croton.] A few West Indian species. Type 

 species: Lasiocroton macrophylhis Griseb. 



1. Lasiocroton bahamensis Pax & K. Hoffm. Pflanzenreich, 63: 61. 1914. 



Lasiocroton micrantlnus Pax & K. Hoffm. loc. cit. 1914. 



A high leafy tomentose shrub, or a tree up to about 8 m. high. Leaves 

 long-petioled, roundish or ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 5 X 2.3-10 X 7 c^-, trun- 

 cate to cordate at the base, bluntish, entire or repand on the thickish subrevolute 

 margin, pale green above, golden-tomentose beneath ; secondary veins trans- 

 verse, strongly reticulate; petioles articulated at the estipulate base. Inflores- 

 cence densely many-spicate near and at the ends of the branchlets; spikes 

 short-pedunculate ; bracts including a glomerule of 3-5 male flowers. Male 

 flowers densely tomentose ; calyx valvate ; sepals 3-angular ; stamens distinct, 

 included; filaments purple, as long as the anthers. Female flowers sparse, 

 scattered near the base of the spike, densely pubescent; calyx-lobes 5, unequal, 

 reflexed, ovate, blunt; disk large, flat, 5-crenate; styles 2-3, thick, entire, 

 spreading. Capsule tomentose; seeds smooth, ashen; raphe distinct, delicat-e. 



Rocky plains, Andres, Eleuthera, Great Ragged Island : — Cuba. Referred by 

 Mrs. Northrop to L. ma-crophyllus (Sw.) Griseb., of Jamaica. \Yild Oak. Light- 

 wood. Bitters. 



14. MERCUHIALIS L. Sp. PI. 1035. 1753. 



Annual or perennial herbs or shrubs, the leaves opposite, often dentate. 

 Inflorescence mostly dioecious, the male in more or less elongate spikes or 

 racemes. Flowers apetalous. Male flowers: calyx membranous, sepals 3, 

 valvate; stamens 8-20; filaments distinct; anthers subglobose, opening length- 

 wise. Female flowers: sepals 3; ovary 2-celled; styles 2, distinct or nearly so; 

 stigmas entire. Capsule generally 2-carpelled; seeds solitary in each carpel; 

 testa smooth or tuberculate. [The herb of Mercury.] About 7 species, natives 

 of the Old World, the following typical. 



