SPURGE FAMILY (EUPHORBIACEAE) 



Key to the 12 si)ecies illustrated (Nos. 118-129) 

 A. Leaves 3 or more at a node ; nodes with rings — 122. Euphorbia pet Maris. 

 AA. Leaves alternate: nodes without rings. 

 B. Leaves with 3 main veins from base. 



C. Leaves with coarsel.v saw-toothed edges and 2 straight lateral veins from rounded base — 118. Alchornea 



latlfoUa. 

 CC. Leaves with incf)nsiiicuousl,v wavy-toothed edges and 2 curved veins from short-pointed base — 119. 

 AlcJifirncopsis portoriccnsis. 

 BB. Leaves with 1 main vein or midrib. 



D. Petiole more than 1 inch long ; leaves in more than 2 rows. 



E. Leaves with several lateral veins at acute angles to midrib. 



F. Leaves short-pointed at base, the edges not toothed ; tiny dotlike brown scales on twigs, petioles, 

 and leaf blades. 

 G. Leaves thick and leathery, short-pointed at both ends, petiole silvery brown — 120. Croton 

 poccUanthus. 

 OG. Leaves slightly thickenefl, rounded or blunt-pointed at both ends, ijetiole usually reddish 

 tinged — 126. Hyrroiiima rlusioides. 

 FF. leaves broad at liase. with toothe<l edges, without scales, mo,stly hairless. 



II. Leaves short-pointed at apex and rounde<l at base — 124. Flippomane mancinella. 

 IIH. Leaves abruptly long-pointed at ai>ex and heart-shajied at ba.se — 12.5. Hura crepitans. 

 EE. Leaves with many straight, parallel lateral veins almost at right angles to midrib — 129. Sapiiim 

 tauroccrasus. 

 DD. Petiole short, less than % inch long : leaves in 2 rows. 



I. Leaves broadest beyond middle, often with a few teeth toward apex — 123. Gymnanthes Incida. 

 Leaves broadest below or near middle, without teeth. 



J. Leaves many along slender deciduous twigs and appearing to be pinnate, ovate. 1-3 inches long, 

 on very short petioles Vs inch long — 127. Plnillantlnis acirlus.* 

 .JJ. Leaves several, not api>earing to be pinnate. 2-0 inches long, on jietioles more than % inch long. 

 K. Leaves widely spaced, lance-shaijed, slightly thickened, m^per surface slightly shiny — 121. 

 Driipctcs (liiuira. 

 KK. Leaves hanging down, elliptic, thin, upper surface dull green, lower surface pale whitish 

 green — 128. Phyllanthus nobilis. 



II. 



118. Achiotillo 



Alchornea latifolia Sw. 



A widely distrilnited tree distinguished by : (1) 

 reddish-brown smooth bark; (2) ]ono;-petioled 

 large yellow-green elliptic leaves with coarsely 

 saw-toothed edges and 2 prominent, long, straight 

 lateral veins at the rounded base, and short- 

 pointed at apex; (3) many small greenish or 

 yellow - green stalkless flowers, the male on 

 branclied lateral axes and the female on un- 

 branched axes of different trees (dioecious) : and 

 (4) seed capsules % inch in diameter, with 2 long 

 styles, 2-seeded. 



A medium-sized evergreen spreading tree at- 

 taining ?)()-,50 feet in height and IV2 feet in trunk 

 diameter. The inner bark is whitish and slightly 

 bitter. The brown twigs, greenish and with 

 groups of tiny star-shaped hairs when young, have 

 raised nearly round leaf scars. 



Tlie alternate leaves have petioles 114 -21/^ inches 

 long and blades -l-TU (sometimes to 10) inches 

 long and 21/2-41/2 inches broad, slightly thickened, 

 and sliglitly shiny on upper surface. The base has 

 2-4 small glands, and lower surface has minute 

 tufts of hairs in vein angles and, when young, scat- 

 tered small star-shaped liairs. 



The flower clusters (spikes) are 2-8 inches long, 

 witli grou]is of tiny star-sliaped liairs on the slen- 

 der axes. Male flowers ai-e few together, about Vg 

 inch long and broad, with calyx splitting into 3 

 or 4 lobes and with 8 or fewer stamens. Female 

 flowers single or paired along a drooping axis have 

 a 4-lobed calyx i/ig inch long and pistil with 



2-celled ovary less than Vs i'lch long and 2 long 

 styles 14-% inch long. 



Seed capsules are nearly rouiul but slightly flat- 

 tened, dark red when immatui-e but becoming dark 

 brown, the 2 long brown styles breaking off. 

 There are 2 red, tubercled seeds i^ inch long. 

 Flowering and fruiting nearly through the year. 



The lieartwood is liglit brown, and the sapwood 

 similar or wliitisji. Tiie wood is fairly .soft, moder- 

 ately lightweigiit (specific gravity 0.39), moder- 

 ately strong for its weight, of medium texture, 

 with straight to slightly wavy grain, and without 

 growth rings. Reddish-brown radial canals ap- 

 pear on the surface as small holes. The rate of 

 air-seasoning and amount of degrade are moder- 

 ate. Machining characteristics are as follows: 

 planing is good; shaping, turning, boring, and 

 mortising are poor; sanding is very poor; and re- 

 sistance to screw splitting is excellent. The wood 

 is not durable and is very susceptible to attack by 

 dry-wood termites and other insects. 



In Puerto Rico the wood is used for posts and 

 fuel. It is suitable for kite sticks and other small 

 bent jjarts, boxes, crates, toys, temporary cement 

 forms, and utility veneer. With preservative 

 treatment it would serve for light cari:)entry and 

 some types of ^-xterior construction. 



This rapidly growing tree has been introduced 

 for shade in southern Florida. 



Commonest in the mountain forests of Puerto 

 Rico, including the upper mountain regions, but 



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