784 EUPHORBIACEAE 
8. CROTONOPSIS Miehx. Annual herbs, covered, except the upper sur- 
face of the leaves, with silvery appressed peltate stellate scales. Leaf-blades 
entire, upper oed Il slender-rayed s tellate hairs. Flowers monoecious, 
een or greenish-w Staminate flowers with 5 sepals 5 petals, and 5 
stamens. Pistillate n with 3—5 nic no petals, — a l-celled. ovary. 
Fruit an achene-like capsule, erect.—Two species.—RUSHFOIL 
Staminate flowers with ene od than the sepa fi aments longer than the 
sepals: spikes long, : fruit ellipsoid, without veins on the sides, 
the scales with minücs s ringed "with irregular lax stellately spreading rays: 
stellate hairs on upper surface of leaf with short rays. . C. linearis. 
Staminate flowers with petals equalling the sepals damen 
shorter than the sepals: spikes short, with 1 or 2 fruits: fruit 
ovoid, with an evident vein on each Ede the scales S A to 
re A -Spiny, the margin with relatively uniform, appressed 
rays : stellate hairs on upper surface of leaf with long rays. 2. C. elliptica. 
1. C. linearis Miehx. Plant 3-8 dm. tall, the scales with small disks fringed 
with ular lax stellately eR oe leaf-blades narrowly elliptic, 
Buceo e, or linear: spis n te, 
with 3-6 fruits: staminate flower wit 
or hs sepals T petals: pistillate 
flower with lin r linear-lanceolate sepals; 
fruit elipso jd, "25-3 mm. ipa! the stel- 
late scales with blunt or spine-tipped disks; 
seeds 2-2.5 mm. long or more, slightly ridged, 
: , di sa Nash 
Dry acid sandy soil, flat rocks, and barren 
prairies, Coastal Plain and Pucca adj. 
provinces, Fla. to Tex., and S. C.—Spr.—fall. 
2. C. elliptica Willd. Plant 1-4 dm. tall, 
the seales with large disks surrounded b 
uA. enna: E osely appressed rays: leaf- 
i | 
or 
appearing a bearing 1 or 2 Boe stami nate flower with obovate sepals 
and spatulate petals: pistillate flower with ovate sepals: fruit ovoid, 2.5-3.2 mm. 
long; pa e ate scales with umbonate to tuberculate-spiny disks: seed about 
long, brown, smooth.—Dry sandy soil various provinces, rarely 
Ca Plain, Fla. to Tex., Kans., and Conn.—Sum.-fall. 
9. DITAXIS Vahl. Shrubs or perennial herbs. Leaves alternate: blades 
entire or rarely toothed. deii p M braeted, green. Staminate 
flower wi or 5 sepals, peta 
10 stamens. or sometimes ula Piece 
mentary petals, and a 3-celled ovary. Cap- 
ilo pfo —-About 20 species. 
1. D. Blodgettii (Torr.) Pax. Plants 1-6 
dm. tal: leaf-blades oval or elliptie, or 
those of the lower pelis D 1.5—4 ` 
7-8 m id 
em. long: staminate yx wide; 
sepals lanceolate; petal broadly ly a llipti ie, 
shorter than the sepals: mature pistillate 
sepals lanceolate to ber -lanceolate, 5-6 
