EUPHORBIACE^. 227 



V. EXCiECAETEJE. 



98. Excsecaria L. — Flowers monoecious or more rarely dioecious, 

 apetalous, oftea 2-3-merous. Sepals 2, 3 of male calyx (of wliicli 1 

 is posterior), very rarely 4, free or more or less high connate, imbri- 

 cate, sometimes small or very minute, incised or glanduliform, or 

 more rarely rudimentary or 0. Stamens usTially 2, 3, alternating with 

 a like number of sepals, more rarely 1, or 4-15 ; filaments central 

 free or ofteuer more or less high connate in central cylindrical column, 

 very rarely conical ; anthers exti'orse, short ; cells long adnate, de- 

 hiscing by longitudinal clefts, sometimes short poriform. Calyx of 

 female flower as in male. Germen sessile or very short stipitate ) 

 cells usually 2, 3, alternating with sepals, ovule in cells solitary de- 

 scendent ; micropyle extrorse superior, usually obtected with short 

 small obtiirator ; style more or less high, ramified sometimes nearly 

 to base ; branches terete or more rarely laminiform-compressed, stig- 

 matiferous within, patulous or oftener recurved or revolute. Friiit 

 capsular, usually 2-3-coceous ; columella more or less elongate, some- 

 times obsolete, base often horizontally dilated in 3-angular-cornute 

 carpophore. Seeds at micropyle variously or not arillate-incrassate ; 

 chalaza basilar or sometimes more or less ventral ; albumen copious 

 oily ; radicle of straight, vertical, more rarely oblique or sub-horizontal 

 embryo much narrower than foliaceous cotyledons. — Trees, shrubs or 

 more rarely under-shrubs or herbs ; juice often milky ; leaves alter- 

 nate, rarely opposite or sub-verticillate simple ; limb often glandular- 

 dentate or furnished with basilar variously formed glands ; stipules 

 membraneous entire, lacerate, or glanduliform, more rarely ; flowers 

 spicate or raoemose, terminal or more rarely axillary or lateral ; 

 female sessile or pedicellate, the inferior in inflorescence androgynous ; 

 others male, either 1-bracteate or glomerate or cymose in each bract ; 

 bracts and bractlets usually, like the leaves, 2-glanduliferous at base. 

 {All imp. and suh-trop. regions.). See p. 133. 



99. Senefeldera Mart.'- -Flowers monoecious (nearly of Excce- 

 caria); mah; calyx obovoid, shortly 3-lobe(l, imbricated. Stamens 

 6-8, or fewer by abortion, inserted in conical thick receptacle, free 

 2-seriatc ; anthers extrorse, 2.rimosc. Female flowers (of Exccecaria) 



• In /'/o)a(1841),ii. TJni/. 29.— Kl. in^ricAs. /<;/(fcra Endl. &en. Suppl. ii. 88.— II. I5n. 

 Arch. vii. 184.— Bl. Auo. Frodr. 11.53.— &»»«- Enphorh. 53.5, t. 9, fig. 30, 31. 



