EUPHORBIACE,E. 53 



§ 4. Shrubs or herbs ; leaves opposite, shortly petioled, usually oblique at the 

 base : stipules interpetiolar, united. 



t Shrubs or perennial herbs. 



108. E. articulata, Burm. Shrubby, dichotomous, glabrous; leaves oblong -linear, 

 blunt, inucronulate, or oval and oval-lanceolate, quite entire, glaucous beneath, distant: 

 stipules 3-angular, deciduous ; peduncles alar and axillary, simple, subsolitary, exceeding the 

 petiole, nodding; iuvolucre with 4 rounded glands and villous interior lobes; capsule gla- 

 brous; seeds . . . — Plum. Ed. Burnt, t. 281./. 2. — E. linearis, Retz. — An arborescent shrub, 

 10'— 18' high; larger leaves l"long; $ pedicel as long as the peduncle. — Hab. Antigua!, 

 Wulls ; [S. Thomas, Guadeloupe!, on the seashore]. 



109. E. myrtifolia, L. Shrubby, glabrous or glabrate; leaves oval or oval-roundish, 

 obsoletely emarginate, quite entire, or serrulate above, glaucous beneath : stipules 3-angular, 

 deciduous; peduncles alar and axillary, simple, solitary, very short ; involucre as long as the 

 peduncle, few-flowered, with 4 rounded glands, and villous interior lobes ; capsule hairy j 

 seeds ecarunculate, ovoid, transversely wrinkled. — 1'-2' high : branches virgate, alternate ; 

 leaves 6"'-4'" long, oblique at the base; $ flower shortly exserted. — Hab. Jamaica!, AL, 

 in the upper region of the Blue Mountains. 



110. E. buxifolia, Lam. Shrubby, glabrous ; leaves ovate, pointed, quite entire: sti- 

 pules 3-angular, laciniate on the margin; peduncles alar and axillary, simple, crowded at the 

 top of the branches, exceeded by the leaves ; involucre with 5-4, rounded, glandular, peta- 

 loid appendages, and fimbriate interior lobes; capsule glabrous; seeds ecarunculate, subglo- 



• bose, nearly smooth. — Besc. Fl. 6. I. 418. — E. glabrata, V., Su>.: the common form, with 

 approximate, subcomplicate leaves. — 1' high : branches ascending, virgate ; leaves 6"'-3'" 

 long, rounded or semicordate at the slightly oblique base. — Hab. Bahamas!, Swains.; Ja- 

 maica!, all collectors, on the rocky seashore ; S. Vincent!, Guild.; [Bermudas!, Florida!, 

 Cuba!, Guadeloupe!, Honduras!, Venezuela!]. 



111. E. flesnosa, Kth. Suffrutescent, glabrous ; leaves oval-oblong, semicordate at 

 the base, rounded at the mucronulate top, obsoletely crenulate above, or quite entire : stipules 

 3--angnlar, laciniate on the margin ; peduncles alar and axillary, simple, solitary ; involucre 

 with 5-4 glands and fimbriate interior lobes ; capsule glabrous ; seeds ecarunculate, sub- 

 globose, obsoletely wrinkled. — Branches fragile, ascending, flexuous, dichotomous above, i' 

 high; leaves 6"'-4'" long, distant: petiole as long as the basilar auricula. — Hab. Trinidad!, 

 Pd., on the seashore ; [Venezuela]. 



112. E. serpens,- Kth. Suffrutescent or herbaceous, prostrate, glabrous ; leaves oval- 

 roundish, oblique at the base, rounded at the top, quite entire, or crenulate : stipules 3-an- 

 gular, usually laciniate on the margin ; peduncles alar and axillary, simple, solitary (" or ter- 

 nate ") ; involucre with 5-4 glands, which have usually a narrow petaloid margin ; capsule 

 glabrous ; seeds ecarunculate, subtetragonal, smooth. — E. centunculoides, Kth. — Allied to 

 E. herniarioides, Nutt., but perennial. — Palmar, ca;spitose ; leaves 2£"'-V long. — Hab. Ba- 

 hamas!, Swains.; Antigua; [Cuba!, "Venezuela]. 



E. dioica, Kth. (E. centunculoides, Paepp. Cub.!), is a similar perennial species, but distin- 

 guished by larger, symmetrical, petaloid appendages, and transversely wrinkled 3ceds. 



«*'*< '• f f Annual weeds. 



113. E. maculata, L. (var. thymifolia, L.). Annual, csespitose, prostrate, pubescent; 

 leaves oblong, blunt, oblique at the base, serrulate above ; involucres clustered : peduncles as 

 long as the petiole ; petaloid appendages minute ; capsule hairy ; seeds ecarunculate, sharply 

 tetragonal, transversely rugulose-keeled : keels about four, obtuse, and angles entire. — Jacq. 

 Vind. t. 186. — E. maculata, S, PL Carib. E. Burmanniana, Gay. — Leaves 2"'-4'" long. 

 The original E. maculata, L. (a, y, PI. Carib., E. depressa, Torr.), or the United States 

 form, has longer (4"'-6'") leaves. — Hab. Jamaica!, Mac/., to Trinidad !, Lane; [all tropical 

 countries ; o in the United States !]. 



114. E. prostrata, Ait. Annual, csespitose, glabrate or pubescent; leaves obovate 

 or oval-oblong, rounded at the top, oblique at the base, subserrulate above; involucres clus- 

 tered : peduncles as long as the petiole ; petaloid appendages minute ; capsule slightly hairy ; 

 seeds ecarunculate, pale, sharply tetragonal, transversely keeled : keels about six, argute- 



