﻿SPURGE 
  FAMILY 
  147 
  

  

  glands 
  at 
  its 
  notches. 
  Sterile 
  flowers 
  many, 
  borne 
  inside 
  the 
  

   involucre 
  at 
  its 
  base 
  (Fig. 
  23, 
  A), 
  each 
  consisting 
  only 
  of 
  a 
  

   single 
  stamen 
  attached 
  by 
  a 
  joint 
  to 
  a 
  pedicel 
  which 
  looks 
  like 
  

   a 
  filament. 
  Fertile 
  flower 
  standing 
  alone 
  at 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  

   involucre 
  (Fig. 
  23, 
  C) 
  (soon 
  pushed 
  out 
  by 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  its 
  

   pedicel), 
  consisting 
  only 
  of 
  a 
  3-lobed 
  and 
  3-celled 
  ovary, 
  3 
  2- 
  

   cleft 
  styles, 
  and 
  6 
  stigmas. 
  Pod 
  3-celled 
  and 
  3-seeded. 
  

  

  A. 
  Cultivated 
  shrubs. 
  

  

  1. 
  E. 
  splendens 
  Bojer. 
  CROWN 
  OF 
  THORNS. 
  An 
  extremely 
  prickly 
  

   shrub, 
  with 
  many 
  erect, 
  few-leaved 
  branches. 
  Leaves 
  obovate 
  or 
  

   obovate-spatulate, 
  mucronate, 
  entire, 
  each 
  with 
  two 
  very 
  sharp 
  

   prickles 
  (longer 
  than 
  the 
  petiole) 
  as 
  stipules. 
  Peduncles 
  long, 
  

   sticky, 
  each 
  bearing 
  2-4 
  objects 
  which 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  showy 
  scarlet 
  

   flowers, 
  but 
  which 
  are 
  actually 
  2-bracted 
  involucres 
  containing 
  the 
  

   true 
  flowers. 
  Involucral 
  scales 
  somewhat 
  kidney-shaped, 
  mucronate. 
  

   Flowering 
  all 
  the 
  year 
  round. 
  Cultivated 
  in 
  greenhouses. 
  From 
  

   Mauritius. 
  

  

  B. 
  Herbs 
  with 
  rather 
  showy 
  white 
  flower 
  clusters. 
  

  

  2. 
  E. 
  marginata 
  Pursh. 
  SNOW 
  ON 
  THE 
  MOUNTAIN. 
  Annual. 
  Stem 
  

   stout, 
  1-3 
  ft. 
  high. 
  Leaves 
  sessile, 
  ovate, 
  obovate 
  or 
  oblong, 
  acute, 
  

   f-3 
  in. 
  long, 
  the 
  upper 
  ones 
  whorled 
  and 
  with 
  white 
  petal-like 
  mar- 
  

   gins. 
  Involucres 
  5-lobed 
  in 
  an 
  umbel-like 
  inflorescence 
  with 
  three 
  

   forking 
  rays. 
  In 
  dry 
  soil 
  W. 
  and 
  commonly 
  cultivated. 
  

  

  3. 
  E. 
  corollata 
  L. 
  FLOWERING 
  SPURGE. 
  Perennial. 
  Stem 
  erect, 
  

   umbellately 
  branched 
  above, 
  smooth 
  or 
  downy, 
  1-3 
  ft. 
  high. 
  Leaves 
  

   of 
  the 
  stem 
  alternate, 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  branches 
  usually 
  opposite 
  or 
  

   whorled, 
  rather 
  thick, 
  oval 
  to 
  narrowly 
  oblong, 
  pale 
  beneath, 
  usu- 
  

   ally 
  slightly 
  downy. 
  Flowering 
  branches 
  repeatedly 
  forked; 
  invo- 
  

   lucres 
  terminal 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  forks 
  of 
  the 
  branches, 
  peduncled 
  ; 
  glands 
  

   4-5, 
  oblong, 
  green; 
  appendages 
  white 
  and 
  petal-like, 
  showy. 
  Cap- 
  

   sule 
  erect, 
  seed 
  smooth 
  or 
  faintly 
  pitted. 
  Common 
  in 
  dry, 
  open 
  

   woods. 
  

  

  C. 
  Herbs: 
  No. 
  4 
  a 
  native 
  species 
  ; 
  No. 
  5 
  cultivated 
  from 
  Europe 
  or 
  

   escaping 
  from 
  gardens. 
  Flower 
  clusters 
  in 
  umbels, 
  not 
  white. 
  Involucre 
  

   4- 
  or 
  5-lobed, 
  each 
  lobe 
  with 
  a 
  gland. 
  

  

  4. 
  E. 
  dictyosperma 
  Fisch. 
  & 
  Mey. 
  Annual. 
  Stem 
  slender, 
  8-18 
  in. 
  

   high, 
  erect. 
  Stem 
  leaves 
  oblong-spatulate 
  to 
  obovate, 
  serrate; 
  floral 
  

   ones 
  roundish 
  -ovate, 
  somewhat 
  heart-shaped. 
  Flower 
  cluster 
  a 
  com- 
  

   pound 
  umbel, 
  the 
  rays 
  once 
  or 
  twice 
  3-forked, 
  then 
  2-forked. 
  Seeds 
  

   covered 
  with 
  a 
  network. 
  Prairies 
  and 
  roadsides. 
  

  

  