1402 CXVII. EUPHOKBIACEiG. 



3. MICRANTHEUM, Desf. 



(Flowers small.) 



Flowers usually monoecious. Male flower : Perianth of 6 petal-like segments, 

 the three inner ones often rather larger. No internal disk. Stamens either 3 

 opposite the outer perianth-segments, or 6 opposite all the segments, or 8 or 9 

 more irregularly inserted anthers with 2 parallel cells opening longitudinally. 

 Eudimeutary ovary small and lobed. Female flower : Perianth of the males. 

 Ovary 8-lobed and 8-eelled, the lobes alternating with the inner perianth-seg- 

 ments and terminating in simple styles. Ovules 2 in each cell. Capsule 3- 

 ■celled. Seeds 2 (or 1 by abortion) in each cell, oblong, smooth, carunculate. 

 Embryo linear, straight, the cotyledons twice as large as and not much broader 

 than the radicle. — Much branched heath-like shrubs. Leaves on very short 

 jpetioles, small, narrow, entire, coriaceous, in alternate threes on each side of the 

 stem, supposed to be the 3 leaflets of a compound leaf, but^ without any common 

 petiole. Flowers small, solitary or few together in the upper axils, the males on 

 short pedicels, the females usually sessile. 

 The genus is limited to Australia. 



1. M. ericoides (Heath-like), Besf. in Mem. Miis. Par. iv. 253, t. ]4; 



Benth. Fl. Au,%U\ vi. 57. A heath-like shrub of 1 to 2ft., 'the branches and some- 

 times the foliage hirsute. Leaves or leaflets in threes, linear, flat or with slightly 

 recurved margins, about 3 or rarely 4 lines long, glabrous and smooth or 

 scabrous-pubescent. Flowers in the axils of floral leaves which are often solitary 

 or only 2-together, the males on pedicels shorter than the leaves. Perianth- 

 segments ovate or oval-oblong, about f line long, the inner ones flat, the outer 

 •concave and smaller. Eudimentary ovary usually 8-lobed. Female flowers 

 larger, the inner perianth-spgments 2 lines long. Capsule smooth, about 3 lines 

 long. — Muell. Arg. in DC. Prod. xv. ii. 195 ; M. boroniaceum, F. v. M. Fragm. 

 i. 32. 



Hab.: Port Bowen, iJ. Biwou ; Burnett Biver, F. u. il/ii«Hcj-. 



4. PSEUDANTHUS, Sieb. 

 (False flowers ; the petals wanting.) 



Flowers monoecious. Male flower : Perianth petal-like or rather rigid, of 6 

 segments nearly equal or one of the inner ones deficient or replaced by a long 

 filament. Stamens 3, 6 or more (as many as 20), free or very shortly united at 

 the base with the small rudimentary ovary. Anthers with 2 separate cells 

 opening outwards in 2 valves. Female flower: Perianth as in the males. Ovary 

 2- or 3-lobed, with thick diverging stigmatio lobes, 2- or 3-celled when very 

 young with 2 ovules in each cell, but the dissepiments very early obliterated and 

 ^11 the ovules but one abortive. Capsule oblong, 1-celled, 1-seeded, opening in 4 

 or 6 valves. Seed oblong, smooth, carunculate. Embryo linear, the cotyledons 

 longer but scarcely broader than the radicle. — Heath-like shrubs. Leaves 

 opposite or alternate, small, coriaceous, obtuse, with thick margins and the mid- 

 rib prominent underneath. Stipules small, subulate or with a broad base. 

 Flowers small, sessile or shortly pedicellate in the upper axils, the males often 

 several together, the females more sessile, solitary and alone or with one or more 

 males. 



The genus is endemic in Australia. From Mccant/ieum, Pseudanthus Is readily distinguished 

 by its solitary leaves, and by the capsule constantly 1-oelled and 1-seeded by abortion. 



Stamens 6. 



Male perianth-segments linear, 5 — 6 lines long 1. F. pimeleoides. 



Mule perianth segments ovate or oblong-lanceolate, 1 line long or less. 

 Leaves mostly ovate, 1 to 2 lines long. Perianth 1 line long, inner 



stamens nearly as long 2. P, ovalifolius. 



Leaves mostly oblong-linear, 2 — 4 lines long. Perianth J line on a 

 pedicel longer than itselJ. Stamens short - . ... 3. P. orientalii. 



