EUPHORBIACE^. 



125 



four stamens, or eight in two ranks, or a larger number, indefinite. 

 The filaments are free or united below in a ring ; the anthers are 

 introrse or extrorse, without any peculiar shape, and the gyna3- 

 ceum di- or trimerous, surrounded or not by a hypogynous disk, is 



Alcalypha phkoides. 





FiL'. 1S8. Female flower. 



Fig. 187. Stale flower (if). Fig. ISO. Long.sect. of Female flower. 



siu'mounted by a style with entire or bifid branches. Marcija^ a 

 small tree from tropical Western Africa, is nearly allied to the pre- 

 ceding genus, whose perianth it has. The stamens, indefinite in 

 number, are inserted upon a glandular receptacle, the cells hanging 

 at fii'st distinct from the connective, afterward rising. The fruits 

 are capsular and the seeds exarillate. Ccphalomappa of Borneo has 

 numerous female sepals and 2-3-audrous male flowers united in 

 globular capitules. Ramelia, a small shrub i'rom New Caledonia, 

 represents a reduced type of Clcidon and AlcJiornea. Its trilocular 

 ovary is surmounted by a style infundibuliform at the base, then 

 divided into three almost petaloid and stigraatifcrous branches, 

 the male flower, with valvate calyx, only containing two or 

 three stamens which alternate with the sepals. Caryodendron, 

 a large tree from the Orinoco, is distinguished by its male 

 flowers, with valvate calyx and four stamens, surrounded by a 

 perigynous disk, which sjireads over the bottom of the flowers of 

 both sexes, by its pendent anther cells, and its large fruit, probably 

 indehiscent, of the size of a nut, with edible seeds. Plahjgijne, a 

 volubile shrub, with burning hairs, growing in Cuba, has stamens 

 almost definite in number (from five to eight), borne upon a recep- 

 tacle, with truncate or concave apex, and a female calyx with from 

 five to seven leaves, imbricated or almost valvate, surrounding a 

 trimerous gynpcceiim. 



Jmpcrm, consisting of Australian suff'rutcscent plants, often with 

 spartoid branches and narrow leaves, sometimes very little developed, 



