778 EUPHORBIACEAE 
or 6 d aa usually 3 stamens. Pistillate flowers with 5 or 6 sepals and a 
3-celled o Fruit eapsular.—About 60 species, mostly in tropical regions. 
Calyx of de pistillate flower about as peti as that of the staminate, at anthesis, 
or only slightly larger; sepals sc arcely accrescent in fruit. 
Stems solitary from a slender root, sometimes branched at 
e Meis I. CAROLINENSES. 
Stems eral or many from a thick woody root. II. PENTAPHYLLI. 
Calyx of the pistillate flower much larger than that of the 
staminate, conspicuously accrescent. III. PLATYLEPIDES. 
CAROLINENSES 
Stem herbaceous: annual herbs. 
Branches erect or ascending. 
Mature Led sepals broadly linear to broadly spat- 
dud calyx much wider than the capsule: seed about 
JOUER: 1. P. carolinensis. 
Mature pistiliate sepals broadly ovate to broadly obo- 
vate c wide as the capsule or slightly wider: 
eed m h less a hah 1 mm. long. 2. P. pruinosus. 
Branches recurved epreadia 
Staminate sepals longer than ides calyx of the pistil- 
late flower not reaching the middle of the capsule, P. Niruri. 
8 
late flower reaching above the middie of the capsule. 4. A lathyroides. 
Stem woody: short-lived shrub. 5. P. Garberi. 
II. PENTAPHYLLI 
Stems tufted on the root, slender-wiry: leaves numerous and 
ete on the short branche es : flowers usually approxi- 
6. P. pentaphyllus. 
III. PLATYLEPIDES 
Stems solitary or several from the thickened root: flowers few, 
borne in the upper leaf-axils, rather r long-pedicelled. T. P. platylepis. 
1. P. carolinensis Walt. Plant 1-5 dm. tall, the stem glabrous: leaf-blades 
a to elliptic “obovate, rather viera narrowed to the base: staminate 
calyx 1.5-2 mm. wide; sepal suborbicu 
Siue (e pistillate caly yx 2.5 wide; ee 
ian linear to pens ED uae [cns 
bout 2 mm. wide. — Woods, river-banks, and 
ape various p Fla. to Tex. 
Mo., and Pa.—(JF. 1.)—8Spr. —fal 
2.. P. pruinosus Poepp. Plant 0.5-3.5 dm. 
tall: leaf-blades cuneate to obovate, ab- 
ruptly mae at the base: staminate 
ealyx 1.5-2 mm. wide; er puc 
mature pistillate calyx. wide; 
sepals broadly o pod to "broadly “obovate: 
capsule about 1.5 mm. wide. [P. saxicola 
Small ]—Low paces and e 
Everglade Keys, Fla. and the Florida 
Keys.—(W. I.)—All year. 
ruri L. Plant 1-3 dm. tall: leaf- p ae elliptic or nearly s 
rounded at the base: staminate calyx 1-1.5 mm. wide; sepals orbicular- Dat 
mature pistillate oo ab wide; se pes linear to linear-ovate: 
capsule de Fy a and waste-places, pen. and the 
, Mes., C. A., S. A.)—All year.—Sometimes used medicinally. 
4. P. lathyroides H.B.K. Plant 2-6 dm. tall: leaf- kn thinnish, ben 
to obovate, acute or obtuse at the base: staminate calyx 1 mm. wide sepals 
flabellate or reniform: mature ae calyx 2 mm. a sepals ma to oval: 
capsule about 2.5 mm. wide. ocks, S pen. Fla —(W . I., Mez., C. 
8. A.) —All year. 
