158 



NATURAL HISTORY OP PLANTS. 



exostomio caruncle, "with, flesliy albumen, surrounding an axile 

 cylindrical embryo, straight or arched, with superior radicle. Calli- 

 triche consists of delicate annual shrubs, with stems often floating. 

 The leaves are opposite, small, entire, three-nerved ; the flowers are 

 axillary, generally solitary. Some dozen species ^ have been 

 described, which perhaps ought to be reduced to one or two. These 

 are found in all hot and temperate climates. 



This large family which we reduce, as will be seen, to a hundred 

 and fifty genera besides a tolerable number ill-known and doubtful 

 ones,^ was long ago recognized by classifiers. In 1592, Zaluzian, 

 in his Methodus, already indicated a class of Euphorbia. Linn^us, 



1 KuETZ. in Reichb. Ic. Grit, t- 881-900.— 

 Gken. et GrODR. Tl. de Fr. i. 590.— Oliv. Fl. 

 trap. Afr. i. 406. — Benth. Vl. Austral, ii. 

 491.— Lbeel, Callitr. vCiMim. Soc. Cheri. (1873), 

 129.— Walp. Ann. vii. 944. 



* These genera comprise true Euphorbiacese, 

 proved ty tlie study of the female flowers, 

 their true place in the family not being known, 

 and plants of which only the male flower is 

 known, so that it ie impossible to say they are 

 Euphorbiaceae. They are as follows : 



1. Adenoeliaton (Eenzl, in Flora [1844], i. 

 212). MenispermacesB of the genus Gocculits. 



2. Antitaxis (Miees, Menisperm. 12). Eu- 

 phorbiaoesB, according to Benth. and Hookek 

 {Qen. 33), but not according to Mueller 

 {Prodr.) 1258. A. ? longifolia Miers is certainly 

 a Menispermacese, type (in Adansonia, x. 155) 

 of the genus Gabila (see Sist. des. Plantes, iii. 

 19, n. 4). 



3. Austrobttxm (MiQ. Fl. Ind.-Bat. Suppl. i. 

 444). A shrub (?) with opposite simple leaves, 

 and female flowers (these alone known) in 

 cymes (?) in the axil of coriaceous bracts. Ovary 

 naked, ovoid, surmounted by a style with three 

 short trisulcate divisions. Cells biovulate. — 1 

 species from Sumatra : A. nitidus (perhaps an 

 Asiatic section of Amanoa ?). 



4. Calpigyne (Bl., Mus. Lugd.-Bat. ii. 192). 

 Male flowers, calyx 4-fid, subvalvate ; 4 central 

 stamens with introrse anthers. Three-celled 

 ovary; cells 1 -ovulate, styles bifid. A shrub 

 from Borneo and the Celebes, with alternate 

 penninerved leaves and monoecious flowers in 

 spikes (perhaps of the genus Cladogynos, p. 

 18?). 



5. Centrodiscus (M. Aro. in Fl. Bras. Eu- 

 phorb. mox edend. ex comm. oral.) Gen. un- 

 known to us. 



6. Desmonema, (Rapin. Serb. 23). Considered 



by the author as allied to Euphorbia and Tragia ; 

 resembles the former by its long stipitate 

 ovary, but said to have hermaphrodite flowers 

 (North America). 



7. Elaogene (Mia. Fl. Ind.-Bat. Suppl. 

 460). A tree from Sumatra, with alternate 

 leaves, stellate hairs. Female calyx, 5-partite. 

 Berry with thick coriaceous subligneous pericar]) 

 tricoccate and tiispermous (Baccaurea ? ). 



8. FahrenAeftia (Reichb. p. et Zoll. in Lin- 

 niea, xxviii. 599). Calyx and corolla 5-merous. 

 Male flower with 10 stamens. Ovary 3-celled. 

 Capsule 3-coccate, 3-spermous. — 1 species from 

 Java, F. colliim [Codi(eum ?). 



9. Forchammeria (Liebm. Nov. Plant. Mex. 

 liec. 4). Doubtful EuphorbiaoesB (B. H. Gen. 

 104). Fruit all spongy, mucous. Exalbu- 

 minOTis embryo, with convolute cotyledons 

 (Malvaceae ? ?). 



10. Geruma (Forsk. Fl. ^g.-Arab. 62). 

 Doubtful Euphorbiaceae (B. H. Gen. 330) ; 

 difl'ering trom it by its hermaphrodite flowers 

 (M. Arg. Frodr. 1259). 



11. Lascadiwm (Rafin. Fl. Ludov. 114). 

 A plant from Louisiana, woolly fragrant with 

 alternate leaves, flowers in umbels, the female 

 surrounded by the male, apetalous. Calyx 

 entire, stamens about 12. Ovary three-celled. 

 Capsule 3-spermous (Crotonese ?). 



12. Lobecarpus (Wight et Arn. Prodr. 7). 

 A woody plant, with glabrous leaves. Flowers 

 axillary 1-3. Calyx 3-fid. Fruit 5-celled. 

 Cells 2-spermous. — 1 species (i. Candolleanm), 

 from Eastern India, perhaps of the genus Q-lo- 

 ehidion (M. Arg. Prodr. 1256). 



13. Mettenia (Griseb. Fl. Brit. W.-lnd. 

 43). Male calyx 3-fid. Stamens 7, of which 

 4 are exterior, with didymous anthers. Female 

 calyx 6-partite. Ovary 3-locular ; cells 1-ovu- 

 late. Capsule 3-celled. Trees with alternate 



