Tragia.] CXVII. EUPHOEBIAOE^. 1453 



parallel, opening longitudinally in 2 valves. Eudimentary ovary none or small 

 and obscure. Female flower : Perianth of 6 or fewer, rarely 7 or 8, imbricate 

 segments, entire or pinnately divided. Ovary 3-celled or rarely 4 or 6-celled, 

 with 1 ovule in each cell. Styles erect and connate at the base, free and entire at 

 the end. Capsule separating into 2-valved cocci. Seeds globose, without any 

 carunnulus. Testa crustaceous. Albumen copious. Cotyledons flat, much 

 broader than the radicle. — Twining or climbing perennials or undershrubs, rarely 

 erect annuals, usually hispid with stinging hairs. Leaves alternate, petiolate, 

 toothed, often cordate, 8 or 5-nerved. Flowers small, the racemes normally 

 terminal, but often leaf-opposed from the elongation of the lateral shoot, or 

 apparently axillary from the shortness of the flowering branch, the males in the 

 upper, the females in the lower, part of the raceme, all usually solitary in the 

 axil of a small bract. 



The genus is spread over the tropical and subtropical regions of both the New and the Old 

 World. The only Australian species appears to be endemic. 



1. T. Novae-hoUandiae (of New Holland), Muell. An/, in lAnncea xxxiv. 

 180, and in DC. Prod, xv, ii. 929 ; Bi'iith. Ft. Austr. \\. 138. A twining herb, 

 attaining several feet, more or less hispid with simple rigid appressed or spreading 

 stinging hairs. Leaves petiolate, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acute, coarsely 

 toothed, 3 or 5-nerved and broadly or deply cordate at the base, penniveined, 

 \\ to Sin. long. Stipules small. Racemes slender, 1 to 2in. long. Flowers 

 solitary in the axils of small narrow bracts, the lower ones female and distant, the 

 upper ones all male on very short pedicels. Male perianth-segments 5, rather thick, 

 acute, f line long. Stamens varying from 8 to 5, inserted within -the margin of a 

 broad disk, the filaments exceedingly short, the anther-cells almost stipitate. 

 Female perianth-segments usually 6, more acutely acuminate than the males,'but 

 imbricate in the bud, at least 1 line long. Styles 8, erect and connate to above 

 the middle, recurved at the end and entire. Capsule tridymous, densely setose 

 or nearly glabrous, about 4 lines diameter. 



Ilab.: Broadsound, R. Brown, Bowman; Brisbane River, Moreton Bay, A. Cunningham, 

 Leichhardt,F. v. Mueller; Logan Eiver, Fraser ; Rookharapton, Dallachy, O'Shanesy, Bowman, 

 Thozet ; Rockingham Bay. Dalliichy. 



39. HOMALANTHUS, A. Juss. 



(Smooth flowers). 



(Carumbium, ijewjui. ; Omalanthus, .-I. Juss. ; Wartmannm, Bluell. Arg.) 



Flowers monoecious, in terminal racemes. Male flower : Perianth small, at 



first irregularly truncate or shortly lobed, often dividing into 2 broad lobes. No 



glands or petals. Stamens few, inserted on a central receptacle, without any 



rudimentary ovary ; filaments free ; anther-cells distinct, divaricate or placed 



back to back, opening longitudinally in 2 valves. Female perianth nearly similar 



to the male, usually deciduous. Ovary 2-celled, with 1 ovule in each cell. Styles 



2, linear, divergent, undivided, papillose on the inner surface. Capsule com- 



^pressed, didymous, somewhat fleshy, indehiscent or tardily opening in 2 valves 



along the back of the cocci. Seeds with a fleshy arillus or carunculus. — Glabrous 



trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, petiolate, broad, entire. Stipules membranous, 



often large and very deciduous. Flowers very small, the males in small 



clusters occupying the greater part or the whole of the raceme, the female solitary 



within each bract, one or few at the base of some of the male recemes, or alone. 



The genus has but few species, limited to the Indian Archipelago and the Islands of the 

 South Pacific. Of the two Australian species, one ranges generally oves the area of the genus, 

 the other is endemic. 

 Capsule quite smooth. Seeds half-enveloped in a fleshy arillus. Bracts 



with 2 large glands 1, H. pepnlifoliiivi. 



Capsule bearing usually 2 to 6 short conical processes or tubercles. 



Seeds with a thick flesihy carunculus. Bracts with yillous glands . 2. H. stillingicefoUnm, 



Pabt V. G 



