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SOME NEW SPECIES OF EUPHORBIA FROM SOUTH 
AFRICA. 
By R. Marloth, Ph.D., M.A., F.R.S.S.Afr. 
Having recently visited the coast districts of Great Namaqualand, I 
found, that in the desert-belt, which extends about 50 to 60 km. inland, 
and which bears no trace of vegetation for miles, several shrubby species 
of Euphorbia form the most prominent features of the scanty vegetation, 
as it exists on the slopes of the hills of the region. On endeavouring to 
identify these plants I ascertained that three of them were undescribed. 
I take this opportunity of publishing a few other species, which I have 
had in cultivation for a number of years. The difficulty of identification 
is much increased by the incompleteness of the specimens, as they exist 
in European herbaria, and the defective descriptions based upon the^e 
specimens. 
Two other species were found in the rocky belt near the coast, viz. : 
E. brachiata E. Mey and E. stapelioides Boiss. The former, a dichoto- 
mously branched, leafless shrub, generally about a foot high, is fairly 
common, often the only plant visible ; the other one, a small succulent 
plant growing between rocks, is much rarer. 
Euphorbia pidvinata spec. nov. (Sect. Diacanthium). 
Caulis subterraneus, brevissimus, apice ampliatus, ramis brevibus 
simplicibus in pulvino depresso aggregatis, verticaliter 7-costatis, pro- 
funde inter costas sulcatis, pedunculis sterilibus longis spinaeformibus 
pungentibus. Folia linearia decidua. Cyathia in apice ramorum sessilia 
aggregata. Involucrum 2-3 foliolis ovatis ciliatis suffultum, longe- 
campanulatum, lobis brevissimis retusis denticulatis, glandulis rubris 
erectis hemisphaericis margine repandis. 
The plant spreads laterally by producing numerous branches of equal 
length, thus forming a slightly convex cushion-shaped mass, up to 50 cm. 
in diam. The length of the branches is 3-6 cm., their diam. (with ribs) 
3-4 cm. ; the number of ribs is mostly 7, sometimes 6 or 8, their edge is 
slightly crenate, their height and width 7-9 mm., the length of the spines 
10-15 mm., the diam. of the cyathium, which is dark red, 4 mm. ; leaves 
5-10 mm. 
