Plants Collected in Paragumj. 219 



Jatropha Titifolia, Mill., Diet. 



Trinidad (794). October. = Balansa 1720. 



Soft stemmed, suffruticose, with copious milliy juice, -J-1 m. high. 

 Stem and lower surface of leaves beset with straight, transparent, 

 1-2 celled spines, which are about 1 cm. long, pulvinate at the base. 

 Leaves alternate, palmatelv 3-5 nerved, the nerves prominent 

 beneath, 5-7 lobed, the lobes cut-incised and spiny at the apex, on 

 white spiny petioles 5-8 cm. long, the blades 8-14 cm. long and 

 about as wide. The upper surface of the leaf smooth, green, white 

 spotted. Flowers white, tube shorter than the 5 spreading lobes. 

 At first the perianth is greenish below and spiny, afterwards be- 

 coming pure white and glabrous, large (2-2-|- cm high). Stamens 

 numerous, in a column as if Malvaceous, with several series, one 

 above the other. Style 2-divided, each division with several thread- 

 like stigmas. Ovary spiny. 



This very spinous plant is rather a dangerous thing to handle, 

 notwithstanding its clusters of handsome flowers, for its needle- like 

 spines can inflict a severe and smarting wound. 



Jatroplia gossypiifolia, L., var. breviloba, Morong, n. var. 



Differs from the type as described in Fl. Bras, in having the leaves shortly 

 3-5 lobed, the ovary and exterior of the perianth lacinise, and all parts of the 

 plant, including the inflorescence, glabrous. 



I append a fuller account of this species than has ever been given. 

 It is usually a shrub 2-3 m. high, but sometimes when used as a 

 shade tree, as it often is in Asuncion, it attains a height of 5-7 m. 

 Leaves broad-ovate or orbicular in outline, palmately veined and 

 subcordate, acute-aristate at the apex and on the sharp lobes. The 

 stipules are peculiar, being setose, dichotomously divided, each 

 branch tipped with a small round gland, often 1 cm. or more in 

 length. The margins of the leaves, bracts, and lacinise are setace- 

 ously ciliate and tipped with glands. Flowers in small terminal 

 cymes, monoecious; staminate flowers with 5 petals yellow^ish-green 

 on the margins, brownish-red in the middle, purple-striped below on 

 the outside, spreading in anthesis, 5 mm. long; stamens 8, united 

 below, dimorphous, 5 short and 3 long, the shorter ones shedding 

 their pollen before the others open. Styles 3, united below, persis- 

 tent, with 3 capitate stigmas. Fruit 1^ cm. long by 1 cm. broad, 

 truncate at the apex. Seeds flattened-cylindrical, boat-shaped on 

 one face and angled on the other, glabrous, brownish in color, with 



