THE BOTANY OF CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 229 



three trees, which flowered at the end of October. 

 The leaves sting and the flowers are green. Rendle 

 says it is near L. laxiflora of Java, which has leaves 

 pubescent beneath and the female infloresence larger 

 than the petioles, but in my specimens the infloresence 

 of the female plant is certainly longer than the petioles. 



Cudrania javanensis, Trecul. 



A big woody climber, with pale branches and strong 

 ■J inch spines. Leaves very variable from lanceolate 

 acuminate to elliptic obtuse 1-3 inches long %-l% across, 

 glabrous, petiole and branchlets pubescent and the 

 nerves of very young leaves also. Male flowers in small 

 yellow balls ^ s inch across leaves shortly peduncled 

 pubescent. Sepals cuneate hairy ; stamens 4. Female 

 heads twice as large style. Fruit a fleshy head of 

 drupes. 



Very common Rocky point, Phosphate hill, Plateau 

 etc. 



Distribution East Africa, Ceylon, India, Malay Pen- 

 insula and Archipelago, Australia. 



An abominably spiny plant with deep green leaves 

 forming a bush in open places but a big climber with a 

 stem as much as 4 inches through in the forest. The 

 style in all the specimens I have seen from Christmas 

 Island is simple. 



Fhurya ruderalis, Gaud. 



A common weed about a foot tall herbaceous with 

 ovate crenate subacute leaves 2-4 inches long, sparsely 

 hairy or nearly glabrous with rather long petioles. 

 Panicles axillary lax but numerous much branched 1 

 inch or less long, the flowers in small peduncled tufts. 

 Achenes very small, smaller than in Fl. interrupta 

 ovate flattened edge thickened and ribbed, beaked. 



Common, Flying Fish Cove, Smith Point. 

 Distribution Java. 



R. A. Soc, No. 45, 1905. 



