THEIR FORMS AND FUNCTIONS. §21 
EUPHORBIACES. 
The species of this family differ greatly as regards the stipules. 
In Euphorbia palustris, Linn., FE. lucida, Waldst. & Kit., &e., 
there are no stipules. The bud is amply protected by the crowded 
leaves, the outer ones enclosing the winter-bud being reduced 
to scales. In Pachysandra (P. procumbens, Michx.) the arrange- 
ment is very similar. 
In the Box also (Buaus sempervirens, Linn.) the winter-bud is 
covered by about five pairs of leaves reduced to scales. The lower 
or outer are spathulate and evergreen, like miniature leaves ; the 
middle ones are triangular and brown; while one or two of the 
uppermost pairs elongate in spring, becoming linear and mem- 
branous. They persist for a year or more in a withered condition. 
The perfect leaves are opposite, convolute in bud, with one edge 
out and the other inside, and the older protect the younger. A 
large number are crowded together, and the outer pairs protect 
all the younger members in the bud. 
On the other hand, in Acalypha (A. obovata, Benth.) the stipules 
are linear-subulate, attenuate, inserted upon the stem at the ex- 
treme base of the petiole. They appear to be of little use in 
protecting axillary buds, but would serve to guard the terminal 
ones. Where the young leaves are crowded together, the stioules 
lie all round the bud and project beyond the leaves to which they 
belong. 
In many species of Jatropha they form dissected hair-like 
structures standing in the axil of the leaf. 
In Pedilanthus (P. tithymaloides, Poit.) the stipules, if such 
they may be called, are minute and apparently glandular. They 
fall early. The terminal bud is small and nestles at the base of 
the leaves. The axillary buds are minute, scaly, and covered 
with short hairs, forming minute grey tufts or nodules, sunk in 
a slight cavity in the stem, as in some of the Cacteex. 
In Croton (C. lucidus, Linn.) the stipules are small, palmately 
lobed with finger-like segments, glandular, inserted on the stem 
close to the base of the petiole, and generally or often persisting 
after the fall of the leaf, more or less hairy at the edges. 
The terminal bud consists of a conical mass of sessile leaves, 
involute at their edges and densely stellately tomentose. The 
stipules assist in protecting the base of the buds, but even at 
this stage they are much shorter than the leaves. 
