Amh-achne.] CXVII, EUPHOEBIACE^. 1415 



in the centre very small. Female flowers : Calyx usually larger than in the 

 males. Petals minute or none. Ovary 8-celled, with 2 ovules in each cell. 

 Styles 8, more or less deeply divided into 2 entire branches. Capsule separating 

 into 3 2-valved cocci. Seeds curved, 3-angular, rugose, not carunculate. 

 Embryo curved, with broad cotyledons. — Herbs or undershrubs, with procumbent 

 ascending or erect branching stems. Leaves alternate, petiolate, entire, usually 

 small. Flowers very small, pedicellate in the axils, the females solitary, with or 

 without a few males in the same axil. 



The genua contains but few species, dispersed over the temperate and aubtropical regions 

 of both the Kew and tlie Old Worlds. The only one in Auatraliii is also in Timor and in 

 the Eastern Archipelago. The habit Is often that of a Fhyllanthns, from which the genus 

 differs in the presence of petals and of a central rudimentary ovary in the male flowers. 



1. A. Secaisnei (after J. Decaisne), Bnith. Fl. AuMr. vi. 88. A]Dparently 

 annual, but the stems hard and woody-looking at the base, much branched, 

 decumbent, attaining 1 to 2 or even 3ft., the whole plant softly villous. Leaves 

 broadly obovate or obovate- oblong, ^ to fin. long, on rather long petioles. Male 

 flowers 2 or 8 together on very short pedicels. Calyx-segments 5, lanceolate, 

 acute, spreading, about I line long. Petals narrow, nearly as long as the calyx. 

 Female flowers solitary in the same axils as the males, on pedicels attaining 

 1 line when in fruit. Calyx-segments under the fruit broadly ovate, fully 1 line 

 long, the base of the calyx contracted into a distinct stipes. Styles divided to 

 the base into 2 hranches. Capsule depressed, orbicular, villous, about 2 lines 

 diameter. — A. fruticosa', Dcile. according to Muell. Arg. in DC. Prod. xv. ii. 235, 

 not of Linn. 



Hab.: Near Peak Downs, Boirmaii ; Flinders Kiver, C. V. Flunt. 



14. PHYLLANTHUS, Linn. 

 (Some species (not Australian), having phyllodia which bear the flowers). 



(Kirganelia, A. Jitss. ; Synostemon, F. v. M. ; Eeidia, H'/jl/iiJ 

 Flowers small monoecious, usually in axillary clusters, apetalous. Disk 

 various, rarely none. Male flowers : Sepals 4 to G, imbricate in 2 series. 

 Disk glands various. Stamens 3 to 5 in the centre of the flowers, filaments free 

 or connate; anthers 2-celled, oblong or didymous, rarely reniform, cells 

 parallel or diverging, slits extrorse vertical or transverse by the confluence 

 of the cells. Pistillode none. Female flowers : Sepals of the male. Ovary 

 3 or more celled. Styles free or connate, usually 2-fid with slender branches, 

 rarely dilated ; ovules 2 in each cell. Fruit of 3 or more crustaceous or 

 coriaceous rarely bony 2-valved cocci, with or without a separable coriaceous 

 rarely fleshy epicarp. ' Seeds 3-gonous, estrophiolate, testa crustaceous, albumen 

 fleshy V cotyledons flat or flexuous. Herbs, trees or shrubs. Leaves distichous, 

 alternate, quite entire. 

 Species in all warm countries. 



Sect. 1. Synostemon. — Uiiderslirubsslinibsorpereiiniiillierbs. Leaves smiill. Slamois 

 3, the imDiers adnutc to a central column, the cells -parallel. Ovary 'S-celleil. Stjiles 

 distinct or connate at the hase. Xo glands or disk in either scv. 



Male perianth-segments narrow, erect, herbaceous or rigid, united or 

 free. Hoary or glaucous undershrubs or rarely small shrubs. 

 Styles thick but free. Stems from a woody base decumbent or 

 ascending. Leaves rather rigid, glaucous, under ^in. long. 

 Male perianth-segments connate nearly to the apex .... 1. F. thesioides. 

 Styles more or less connate or very sliort. Stems branching, 

 ascending or erect. 

 Male perianth-segments united to the middle. 



Undershrub. Leaves linear, distant 2. P. hirtelhis. 



Small shrub. Leaves small obcordate or emarginate, clustered 

 at the nodes 3. P. riaens. 



