Compilation
Euphorbia racemosa

Specimens (Gilfillan in Herb. Galpin, 6070), collected on a ridge at Zwart Krans Caves, Krugersdorp, in the Transvaal, have the smaller habit and general appearance of E. rhombifolia, but the leaves are persistent and more fleshy, like those of E. rectirama. Possibly it may prove to be distinct, but requires to be compared with living plants of both species. This is either a very variable plant or more than one species is here included under this name, but from the material seen I have been unable to obtain characters that are of specific value. The four forms above characterised are distinct in appearance, but grade into each other in such a manner that any specific difference they may possess vanishes in the dried material, and if specifically different they must be characterised from living plants. The different forms occur in the same geographical area. I am quite unable to distinguish E. rhombifolia and E. racemosa. The former was founded upon Drège, 8217, and a young immature growth figured for it, but the distributed specimens of Drège, 8217, that I have seen, consist of weak branches corresponding to those of Boissier's figure and flowering branches corresponding to the type of E. racemosa in E. Meyer's Herbarium, and Gerrard's 1170 collected in Natal are partly exactly as in the figure of E. rhombifolia, partly as in E. racemosa. As no description of E. racemosa was published until 1862, when Boissier first described it in De Candolle's Prodromus, I take the earlier published name of E. rhombifolia for this plant, although certainly not so applicable. Boissier has described the peduncles of E. racemosa as bearing a cyme of 5–7 involucres, but this is quite inaccurate as to the type of E. racemosa in E. Meyer's Herbarium, in which the peduncles bear only 1–3 involucres, and in none of the specimens that I have seen, which are conspecific with that type, are more than 3 involucres borne upon any peduncle, usually there is only one. In the original description (not in DC. Prodr.) Boissier quotes “ Ecklon & Zeyher nos. 23, 83” as belonging to this species, but this specimen is E. arceuthobioides, Boiss., and the quotation really refers to one specimen only, of which the number is 23, the added number 83 is merely the locality number and not the number of a separate specimen (see Linnæa, xix. 583 and xx. 258). Arthrothamnus cymosus, Klotzsch & Garcke (Ecklon & Zeyher, 24 partly), is wrongly referred to E. decussata, E. Meyer, by Boissier in DC. Prodr. xv. ii. 75. E. rhombifolia is readily distinguished from its nearest allies by its quickly deciduous bracts.