594 
Prain.—A Review of the Genera 
staminal one is. In every species where the female flowers are known the 
stigmas are plumosely laciniate throughout Mueller’s sections Discoclaoxylon, 
Adenoclaoxylon , Gymnoclaoxylon , and Eiicldoxylon. Even in the case of 
Athroartdra , Muell. arg., the character is ineffective because Mueller has 
added to Anthroandra , Hook, f., three species, C. trichogyne , triste , and 
pauciflorttm , which have plumosely laciniate stigmas. 1 The criterion, as 
between Erythrococca and Claoxylon, instead of being generally applicable, is 
only effective in separating from Erythrococca , Benth., the section Athroandra 
when that section is limited in accordance with Hooker’s original intention. 
The fact that a character may not prove effective in a particular direc¬ 
tion does not, however, necessarily deprive it of value. In the present 
case this stigmatic character enables us to rectify the misapprehension 
entertained by Mueller with regard to the natural limits of the section 
Athroandra , Hook. f. But the character does more than this ; it confirms 
from an independent source the opinion of Hooker that Athroandra is 
probably generically distinct from Claoxylon. Were this, indeed, the only 
character which had to be considered, the logical result of its application 
would be the simultaneous reduction of Erythrococca to Claoxylon. 
We have, however, yet to consider another criterion which has been 
held by Pax to justify at once an extension of the limits of the genus 
Erythrococca , and the separation of that genus from Claoxylon. This criterion, 
suggested in 1895, is that Erythrococca may be recognized by the presence 
of stipular thorns. There is no doubt that the character is an important 
one. In the original E. aculeata , Benth., the thorns are so large as to compel 
attention, but in the three species of Claoxylon known to him in which the 
character is obvious (C. Kirkii , trichogyne ) and triste ) Mueller has treated 
it as negligible. 2 The criterion, as we have already seen, may be used to 
a greater extent than Pax has yet formally used it. It does not conflict 
with any other salient character; there is no species with stipular thorns 
which does not at the same time have perulate buds and plumosely laciniate 
stigmas. The only difficulty is that the criterion does not take us quite so 
far as these two other characters, used in conjunction, happen to carry 
us; there is one species, C. pauciflorum , which has perulate buds and 
plumosely laciniate stigmas, where the stipules remain unmodified. The 
perulate buds indicate that C. pauciflorum should be associated either with 
Erythrococca (including Adenoclaoxylon) or with Athroandra , yet the nature 
of the stipules excludes it from the former, the character of the stigmas 
prevents its reference to the latter. 
1 It is largely because these three species exhibit this character, whereas the stigmas of every 
true Athroandra are entire, that Mueller’s treatment of the section is unsatisfactory. 
2 It is not stated why the character was considered unworthy of reference. But we know that it 
cannot have been overlooked, because Welwitsch, in his field-notes regarding C. trichogyne , expressly 
calls attention to the nature of the stipules (Cat. Afr. PI. Welw., 975), and we also know that Mueller 
had access to these field-notes. 
