Euphorbia], 
EUPHORBIACE.33. 
305 
branching in threes and afterwards in twos, large bracts like the 
leaves in shape and texture, involucre in. long, campanulate, with 
2- horned glands, capsule glabrous long and broad, the valves 
with two keels on the back and pale oblong deeply pitted seeds. The 
Rodriguez plant belongs to the Mediterranean subspecies E. peploides , 
G-ouan, marked by its capsule and seeds not more than half as large as 
those of the type. 
E. serpyllifolia , Bojer, Hort. Maur. 288, is not the plant of Persoon which is Ameri- 
can only, hut E. serpens, Kunth, which differs from E. Heyneana mainly by its broader 
leaves and smooth seeds. We have it from G-alega Islands, but not from the Sey- 
chelles, from which Bojer reports it doubtfully. 
2. ANTIDESMA, Burm. 
Flowers polygamo-dioicous. Perianth calyx-like, with 3-8 long or 
short lobes. Stamens usually as many as the perianth-lobes, and 
opposite to them, inserted on a disk surrounding a rudimentary ovary ; 
filaments filiform ; anthers opening by slits at the top of the cells, 
versatile. Perfect ovary 1-celled, with two pendulous ovules ; stigmas 
3- 4, sessile, spreading. Fruit indehiscent, with a solitary seed. Seed 
albuminous, without either caruncle or aril. — Trees or shrubs, with 
simple alternate stipulate leaves and numerous minute flowers in 
axillary or terminal bracteated spikes or racemes. Distrib. Tropics 
of Old World. Species 60. 
Leaf- veins with pitted swellings in their axils. 
Leaves subsessile 1. A. madagascariense. 
Leaves petioled 2. A. rotundifolium. 
Leaf- veins without pitted swellings in their axils. 
Leaves large, oblong -lanceolate 3. A. longifolium. 
Leaves small, oblong 4. A. Boutoni. 
Leaves small, ‘lanceolate 5. A. lancjefolium. 
1. A. madagascariense, Lam. ; Mull. Arg. in DC. Brod. xv. 2, 
265. A shrub or small tree, 20-30 feet high, glabrous in all its parts. 
Leaves oblong, subcoriaceous, bright green, 3-6 in. long, obtuse or 
acute, rounded or cordate at the base, penninerved with distinct reticu- 
lated venules, and a swelling with a circular pore at the base of 
several of the main veins ; petiole scarcely any. Racemes 1-4-nate, 
cotemporary with the leaves, nearly sessile, 1-2 in. long ; pedicels -Jj- 
in. long, stouter in the female than the male flower ; bracts minute, 
deltoid. Perianth in. long, broadly campanulate, with 4-5 deltoid 
lobes. Stamens 4-5, much exserted. Stigmas 3-4, terminal Drupe 
purple, the size of a small pea, with a large bony endocarp and a 
solitary oblong seed. 
Mauritius, on dry and woody hills of the interior, frequent. Also Bourbon and 
Madagascar. 
2. A. rotundifolium, Bojer , Rort. Maur. 289 (name only). A 
shrub or small tree. Leaves membranous, obovate, obtuse or emargi- 
nate, cuneate or rounded at the base, l|-2 in. long, with about 4 
erecto-patent veins on each side of ’the midrib, with a swelling with a 
pore at the base of the lower ones ; petiole J in. long, finely downy. 
x 
