SPURGE FAMILY. 295 



E. obtusata. Native W. & S. : like preceding, but taller, l-2 high ; 

 stem-leaves oblong-spatulate and obtuse, the upper heart-shaped ; floral ones 

 dilated-ovate ; umbel once or twice 3-rayed, then 2-rayed ; glands of flower cup 

 short-stalked ; pods long-warty. 



E. dictyosp^rma. Open ground S. W. Kesembles the preceding, but 

 slender ; leaves obtusely serrate ; glands small, almost sessile ; seeds delicately 

 reticulated. 



E. Helioscdpia. Weed from Europe in waste places N. : with stouter 

 ascending stems 6' - 12' high ; leaves all obovate and rounded or notched at the 

 end, the lower wedge-shaped, finely serrate ; umbel first with 5, then 3, and at 

 length with 2 rays ; glands orbicular and stalked ; pods smooth and even ; 

 seeds with honeycomb-like surface. 



-" *- Glands of the flower-cup with 2 long horns : pod smooth : seeds sculptured 

 or pitted and pale. @ 



E. Pdplus. Waste places, from Eu. : stem erect ; leaves petioled, entire, 

 round-obovate, the upper floral ones ovate ; umbel h'rs.t 3-rayed, afterwards 

 2-forked ; pod 2-crested on each lobe. 



E. commutta. Wild from Wisconsin and Virginia S. W., on shady 

 slopes : stems with decumbent base ; leaves obovate, the upper sessile, the 

 rounded floral ones broader than long ; umbel 3-forked ; pod crestless : fl. early 

 summer. 



w- -w- -M- Glands crescent-shaped : pod granular : seeds smooth, dark-colored, y. 



E. Cyparissias, CYPRESS SPURGE. Gardens from Eu. and running 

 wild E. : in dense clusters 6' 10' high, smooth ; stem and branches crowded 

 with small linear entire leaves, the floral ones small and rounded heart-shaped ; 

 umbel many-rayed. 



*- -t- Leaves all or chiefly opposite, entire, smooth, almost sessile : pod smooth. 



E. Ipecacuanha, IPECAC SPURGE. Sandy soil from New York S. : 

 branching repeatedly from the long perpendicular root, widely spreading ; 

 leaves barely 1' long, varying from obovate to linear ; peduncles solitary in the 

 forks, slender ; flower-cup dull purple, with 5 glands. ^ 



E. Lathyris, CAPER SPURGE. Cult, from Eu. in country gardens : glau- 

 cous ; stem erect, stout, 2 - 3 high ; leaves thick ; those of the stem lance- 

 linear, floral ones oblong-ovate and heart-shaped; umbel 4-rayed, then forking; 

 glands short-horned. 



2. STILIJNG-IA. ( Named for Dr. B. Still ingfleet.} Very smooth plants, 

 only S. : flowering all summer. 



S. sylvatica, QUEEN'S DELIGHT. Dry soil from Virginia S : herbl - 

 3 high, clustered from a woody root ; leaves crowded, almost sessile, varying 

 from obovate to lance-linear, serrulate ; stamens 2. 



S. ligustrina. River-swamps from N. Carolina S. : shrub 6 - 12 high; 

 leaves lance-obovate or oblong, entire ; spikes short ; stamens mostly 3. 



S. sebifera, TALLOW-TREE of China, planted South Carolina* & S. : tree 

 20 - 40 high ; leaves rhombic-ovate, entire, long-petioled ; stamens 2 ; seeds 

 white, yielding a useful vegetable tallow or wax. 



3. ACALYPHA. (Ancient Greek name of Nettle.) Flowering through 

 lat- summer and autumn. 



A. Virginica. A most common, coarse, low weed in fields, &c : smoothish 

 or hairy, turning purplish, with leaves varying from ovate to "linear, fertile 

 flowers in short clusters ; pod and seed smoothish 



A. Caroliniana. Cult, ground, chiefly S. : has thin heart-shaped closely 

 serrate leaves, mostly a long terminal fertile spike, pods beset with soft prickles, 

 and seeds rough-wrinkled. 



4. RlCmUS, PALMA-CHRISTI, CASTOR-OIL PLANT. (Latin 

 name of a bug, which the seed resembles.) 



R. COmmunis, the only species, but of many varieties, native probably of 

 Africa : a sort of tree, but cult, in temperate climates as a stately annual, for its 



