Osyris] CXIV. SANTALACBiE. 939 



dioecious, trimerous, yellowish ; berries scarlet, oblong-globose. In 

 the thickets of Jau, Humpata, and LopoUo, plentiful ; fl. and fr. Oct. 

 to Dec. 1859. No. 6438. 



Clutia benguelensis Muell. arg., Welw. herb. no. 338, grew in 

 company with this plant in rocky thickets near MumpuUa in 

 Oct. 1859. 



. CXV. EUPHOEBIACE.J]. 



The plants of this order in Angola are distributed alike in the 

 three principal regions, but with this difference, that each region 

 has its predominant set of forms. In the coast region the 

 arborescent cactus-like forms, with the habit of Cereus or Hariota, 

 are the most notable, and they communicate to their stations, 

 where they are massed in forests, a very peculiar physiognomy. 

 In the mountainous wooded region these leafless trees disappear, 

 or they occur only in cultivation, and, instead of them, the forests 

 and hills -are furnished with climbing species of multiform aspect, 

 at times resembling the Oonvolvulacese, as in the case of Doh- 

 champia ; the TJrticacese, as in Tragia, Acal/ypha, and Croton ; and 

 the Leguminosse, as in some species of Phyllomthus. Arborescent 

 forms do not fail to be represented, and such trees are in habit 

 sometimes like the Tiliacese, Rhamnacese, or Lauracese, or even 

 the Menispermacese. In the high plateau region there occur, in 

 addition to some of the arborescent forms of the latter region, in 

 other cases and in greater abundance the cactus-like euphorbias, 

 representing, however, in this region by preference the fleshy 

 Opuntia-like forms. 



The timber of the woody species is nearly always of very good 

 quality, white and firm, sometimes yellowish white, and then it 

 mostly more or less resembles box- wood ; Euphorbia Gomdelahrwm 

 and its allies are, however, exceptions to this general rule. 



Two species of Euphorbia, namely E. Gandelabrwm and 

 E. Tirucalli, in Loanda, as well as, Jatropha Cva-cas in Golungo 

 Alto, provide the negroes with pitchers or stakes that take root 

 readily when driven in the ground, and grow rapidly even where 

 no other shrub or tree can live, and for this reason they are 

 frequently used for making fences round the huts or villages of 

 the natives. 



A material for a black dye, called " Dunce," is obtained from 

 Alchornea eordata in Golungo Alto, and from Lepidotwus occi- 

 dentaUs in Pungo Andongo. 



Tragia and Balechampia contain stinging species ; T. corcUfoUa 

 stung Welwitsch after it had been kept ten years in his herbarium. 



The milk which exudes from the species of Euphorbia is not so 

 injurious as is often reported. On one occasion, when Welwitsch 

 was shooting wild birci in Caouaco near Loanda, the milky sap 

 from E. Candelabrum was squirted in great quantity right into 

 his eyes ; but after washing them for ten minutes with cold sea- 

 water, he suffered no affection of his eyesight. On another 



