EUPHORBIACE^E 479 



Stem erect, terete, glabrous ; 1st internode 3-4 mm. long. 

 Primary leaves entire, alternate, obovate, obtuse, petiolate, gla- 

 brous, light green, subglaucous beneath, pinnatinerved. 



Euphorbia splendens, Boj. 



Capsule as in E. Peplus. 



Seed shortly oblong, tumid, almost globose, terminating at the 

 upper and basal part in a short, cuspidate, obtuse point which 

 corresponds to the micropyle, covered all over with little obtuse 

 elevations or points, dull grey, suspended from near the apex of the 

 placenta at the inner angle of the cell ; testa thick and subcrusta- 

 ceous ; tegmen thin and membranous ; hilum and micropyle con- 

 tiguous, superior ; raphe ventral ; chalaza inferior. 



Endosperm copious, fleshy, whitish. 



Embryo comparatively large, falling a little short of the endo- 

 sperm, in which it is embedded, central, colourless or pale yellow ; 

 cotyledons subrotund, obtuse, entire, plano-convex, lying in the 

 endosperm with their backs to the axis or placenta (the diameter of 

 the seed being about equal either way) ; radicle oblong, obtuse, lying 

 in the endosperm with its point close to the micropyle, equalling or 

 slightly longer, but much narrower than the cotyledons. 



Germination. An early stage shows the testa splitting deeply 

 into halves by the force of growth of the cotyledons, and the swell- 

 ing endosperm. If only lightly covered the seed is carried up by 

 the germinating embryo. The seedling appears above soil in about 

 thirteen days. 



Nine days after germination the testa and endosperm are not 

 yet thrown off, but the as yet very shortly petiolate cotyledons have 

 increased considerably in size, and are now partly uncovered. The 

 glabrous hypocotyl is somewhat fleshy, has increased greatly in 

 length and thickness, and is pale greenish -yellow. 



Seedling (fig. 638). 



Primary root slender, tapering, often flexuose, with a few lateral 

 rootlets. 



Hypocotyl fleshy, erect, clavate, tumid, glabrous, shining, pale 

 green or deep dull red according to exposure. 



Cotyledons rotund, entire, petiolate, obscurely trinerved, 

 rarely slightly emarginate, glabrous, deep subglaucous -green above, 

 paler beneath; lamina 8'5 mm. long, 7*5 mm. wide ; petiole flat- 

 tened above, 1'5 mm. long. 



Stem shrubby, fleshy, full of latex, branching, much angled 

 by the long, stout, spiny stipules, shortly and densely pubescent 



