688 



ecu. EUPHORBIACE^. 



or didymous, free or coherent, opening longitudinally, obliquely or horizontally by 

 2 (or 1) extrorse orintrorse slits or oblong pores, connective polymorphous. Ovaet 

 superior, 3- (rarely 1-many-) celled, whorled around a central column which is persis- 

 tent after the fall of the fruit when it is a capsule ; style various, usually short, with 

 as many branches as there are cells, often again divided, more or less reflexed and 

 papillose above ; ovules solitary or geminate, pendulous from the inner angle of the 

 cells, sessile, usually operculate by a cellular development from the placenta, usually 

 anatropous or semi-anatropous ; raphe ventral, rarely dorsal. Fbuit various, usually 

 a capsule, opening in 3, or 2-c» usually 2-valved cocci which separate from a per- 

 sistent axis [or drupaceous]. Seeds pendulous; testa crustaceous, very often arillate 

 or carunculate ; albumen fleshy, more or less copious. Embbto various ; cotyledons 

 large or small ; radicle superior. 



[In the classification of this family I have followed J. M. Miiller's learned monograph in 

 De CandoUe's ' Prodromus.' Each of the below-mentioned tribes subdivides naturally into 

 sub-tribes, the characters of which are given, with the most important genera in each.] 



Series I. STEITOLOBE^. 



Amperea. 



Tart of inflorescence. Young 



J flowei. 



Amperea spariioides <?. 



Amperea. Diagram ^ . 



Ricinocarpus. Pistil (t|iag.). 



Ridnocarpus. Diagram $ , Ricinocarpus. Spiral andrcecium. 



