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The 
Seotiona) Li 
Vol. I. 
A popular review and record 
for the Pacific Coast. 
San Diego, California, February, 1885. 
{PuptisHED Montuty By C. R. Orcurr. } 
~ 
No . 3. 
ter at San Diego Post-office 
(Written for the SciEnTIST. ] 
Seekers from age to age, have found, 
In nature’s ways, delight, 
And doubtless now, in depths profound, 
Awaits some wondrous light. 
Or better still, just close at hand, 
Unseen, because unsought, 
Rewards, in patient waiting stand, 
For careful, loving thought. 
And nature has so many gifts, 
Her students to repay, 
With something that the mind uplifts 
None empty go away. 
———— 
NEW GENUS OF EUPHORBIACEE 
From Lower California, 
BY C. C. PARRY. 
Among the manuscript notes 
left by Dr. Engelmann at his de- 
cease, is an incomplete description 
of anew genus of Euphorbiaceze 
for which he proposed the name 
of Tetracoccus. The material 
then being imperfect, the notes 
remained unfinished. Since then 
complete specimens having been 
collected by C. R. Oreutt of San 
Diego the following detailed @e- 
scription is herewith submitted. 
TETRACOCCUS, Engel., ined., 
Tetracoccus dioicus, n. sp. 
Shrubby, dioecius; staminate 
flowers involucrate on slender 
pedicels in the axils of the upper 
leaves of recent shoots; inflores- 
cense with a prolonged central 
axis a little shorter than the 
leaves, and usually two or more 
“4 
unequally developed opposite 
branches, bracteate at base; invo- 
lucre in a double series, persistent, 
with 7—9 short, rounded seg- 
ments; stamens 7—9, long exsert, 
inserted at the base of the invo- 
lucral scales," encircling an irreg- 
ular lobed, central disk; filaments 
densely ciliate-pubescent at base, 
anthers extrorse, broadly two- 
celled. Pistillate flowers in the 
axils of lower leaves on recent 
shoots, single pedicellate, pedicels 
thickening upwards, and bibract- 
eate near the middle; involucre 
of 7—9 oblong, unequal segments 
in two series with 4 glandular 
scales on the inner surface, seg- 
ments fragile at maturity. 
Ovary 4 lobed, densely tawny- 
hispid, with 4 long, recurved stig- 
mas. Capsule orbicular, broadly 
4 lobed and 4 celled, the thin ep- 
icarp separating in valves from 
rigid cocci which part at maturity, 
the separate cells dehiscing at 
both sutures. 
Ovules 2 to each cell, pendant 
from the upper placental column 
which persists as‘a rigid central 
axis after the rupture of the cells. 
Seeds by abortion one to each 
cell, smooth, oblong, conspicuous- 
ly carunculate. Embryo with 
broad cotyledons and_ short, 
straight radicle immersed in 
copius albumen. 
Leaves narrowly lanceolate, 
nearly sessile with a somewhat 
decurrent midrib, smooth, rather 
Entered as second-class mat. 
en 
Molhneie 
West-A merican Scientist... 
‘ 
A 
