The Philippine Journal of Science, C. Botany. 
Vol. VII, No. 6, December, 1912. 
NOTES ON PHILIPPINE EUPHORBIACEAE. 
By E. D. Merrill.* 
{From the Botanical Section of the Biological Laboratory, Bureau of 
Science, Manila, P. I.) 
This family is one of the largest in the Philippines, both in 
number of genera and in species; in the Spermatophyta it is 
probably exceeded in the Archipelago only by the Rubiaceae and 
the Orchidaceae. While much work has been done on the group 
in the past few years, a great deal still remains to be accomp- 
lished, and in order thoroughly to understand the relationships of 
the various forms, a great deal of field work is necessary. In the 
majority of species the plants are dioecious, and hence usually 
at least three collections are necessary before adequate material 
is secured for study, for it is always desirable to have not only 
male and female flowers, but also mature fruits. In the case 
of our Philippine forms, and this is also true of extra-Philippine 
ones as well, a high percentage of the species are inadequately 
known for the reason that material in all stages has never been 
collected. 
In the present paper about twenty-six new species are pro- 
posed, in twelve genera. One genus, Alcinaeanthus, of the Eu- 
phorhiaceae-Gelonieae is proposed as new, manifestly allied to 
the Malayan genus Cheilosa Blume. Two genera, Cladogynos 
Zipp., and Blumeodendron Kurz, are recorded from the Arch- 
ipelago for the first time, the first by the discovery of a rather 
widely distributed Malayan species in two localities in the Phil- 
ippines, and the second by transfer of an endemic species from 
Sapium where it was originally described. A few new combina- 
tions are made, and some nomenclatural notes are included. 
ALCINAEANTHUS gen. nov. 
{Euphorbiaceae-Gelonieae.) 
Flores dioici, apetali. Floris $ sepala 4, aequalia, valde im- 
bricata. Disci glandulae 6, minutissimae. Stamina 6; filamen- 
ta libera; antherae late ovoidae, breves. Ovarii rudimentum 
* Associate Professor of Botany, University of the Philippines. 
114346—2 379 
