55 2 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS: BOTANY. 



duced, and often subtended by an involucre which resembles a calyx. 

 Ovary usually 3-celled, with 1-2 pendulous ovules in each cell. Styles 

 3-cleft. Fruit tricoccous, the parts often breaking away elastically from 

 the axis. Endosperm oily or fleshy ; and cotyledons broad. 

 Species 400, abounding most in warm climates. 



KEY TO THE GENERA. 



1. Flowers distinct. Stamens 2-3, on short filaments. Styles 3, united at base. Cotyledons 



broader than the radicle. Calyx small, opening before anthesis ; or none. 



i. Colliguaya, p. 552. 



2. Flowers grouped, one central female and several i-staminate males, enclosed in a calyciform 



involucre, the whole resembling a hermaphrodite flower. The tricoccus fruit protruding, 

 and glands alternating with the lobes of the involucre. 2. Euphorbia, p. 553. 



3. Flowers solitary in the axils, or terminal and crowded. Stamens 6. Embryo linear, the coty- 



ledons scarcely as wide as the radicle. Styles distinct. Heath-like. 3. Dysopsis, p. 554. 



4. Axillary spikes, apically male, of 5-merous flowers. Ovary tridymous ; styles bifid. 



4. Aonikena, p. 555. 



i. COLLIGUAYA Molin. 



Shrubs, with terminal spikes of monoecious (or dioecious } flowers, the 

 partial inflorescence being glomerulate or rarely lax, and without calycoid 

 involucre. Petals none. Male flowers with no calyx or rudimentary calyx, 

 and 23 stamens. Female flowers with 23 sepals. Fruit having 2-3 

 bivalved cocci, or a 3-winged carpophore. 



Species 6, in extratrop. S. Amer. (Fig. in Eng. & Prantl, iii, 5, p. 

 100, C-F.) 



I. C. INTEGERRIMA Gill & Hook. 



Leaves coriaceous, entire. Male bracts broad, ovate, horizontal, con- 

 taining 9-14 stamens. Female bracts ovate-lanceolate, enclosing the ses- 

 sile, oblong-ovate, acuminate sepals. Ovary 2-celled ; capsiile didymous, 

 compressed. 



(Chilian Andes) ; Patagon., Chubut, Rio Sta. Cruz, Golfo de San Jorge. 



2. C. PATAGONICA Speg. 



Fruticose, glabrous, branches nearly leafless, flexuose and subcircinate 

 at top. The few leaves caducous, linear, entire, obtuse, cuneate ; others at 

 the base with a large, tooth-like gland. Spikes axillary, short, bracts 

 coarsely 2-glandular. Capsule didymous, 2-celled, mediocre. Seeds sub- 

 globose, fusco-maculate, with small, white caruncle. Dioecious (Speg.) 



