Genus 7. 



SPURGE FAMILY. 



459 



I. Tragia urens L. Eastern Tragia. 

 Fig. 2724. 



Tragia urens L. Sp. PI. Ed. 2. 1391. 1763- 



Tragia innocua Walt. Fl. Car. 220. 1788. 



Perennial, dull green, pilose or hirsute. 

 Stem slender, erect, 4-15', tall, branched; 

 leaves obovate or ovate to linear, entire, un- 

 dulate or toothed, mostly obtuse at the apex, 

 narrowed or subcordate at base, short-petioled 

 or sessile, 5"-2' long; flowers in terminal or 

 lateral spike-like racemes often 4' long ; stam- 

 inate flowers with a 4-lobed calyx and 2 

 stamens ; pistillate flowers several at the base 

 of the racemes, with a 5-6-lobed calyx ; cap- 

 sule short-pedicelled, much depressed, 4"-5" 

 in diameter, sparingly pubescent ; seeds sub- 

 globose, 2" long, smooth. 



In sandy soil, Virginia to Florida and Louisiana. 

 May-Aug. 



2. Tragia nepetaefolia Cav. Catnep 

 Tragia, Fig. 2725. 



T. nepetaefolia Cav. Icones 6 : iT.pl- 55/. f- 1- 1801. 



Tragia urticaefolia Michx. Fl. Bor. .\m. 2: 176. 



1803. 



Perennial, hispid with stinging hairs. Stem 

 slender, erect or reclining, O'-is' long; leaves 

 triangular-ovate or lanceolate, s"-2' long, den- 

 tate-serrate, cordate, short-petioled, the lower 

 sometimes orbicular; racemes 5"-i2' long, 

 many-flowered ; staminate flowers mostly with 

 a 3-lobed caly.x and 3 stamens ; pistillate flow- 

 ers with a 5-lobed calyx ; capsule much de- 

 pressed, 3" in diameter, hirsute ; seeds globose, 

 chestnut brown, smooth, 2" in diameter. 



In sandy soil, Georgia and Florida to Missouri, 

 Kansas, Mexico and New Mexico. Recorded from 

 Virginia. May-Oct. 



3. Tragia ramosa Torr. Branching 

 Tragia. Fig. 2726. 



T, ramosa Torr. Ann. Lye. X. Y. 2: 245. 1826, 



T. stylaris Muell. .Arg. Linnaea 34: 180. 1S60. 



Perennial, light green, bristly with stinging 

 hairs. Stem slender, usually much branched, 

 the branches sometimes spreading. 2'-i2' long; 

 leaves lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate or triangu- 

 lar-lanceolate, V-2' long, acute at the apex, 

 coarsely and sharply serrate, truncate or cor- 

 date at the base, short-petioled; racemes i'-ii' 

 long, few-flowered ; staminate flowers very 

 short-pedicelled, with a 4-5-lobed calyx and 

 4-6 stamens; pistillate flowers solitary with a 

 5-lobed caly.x subtended by a 3-lobed bract ; 

 capsule much depressed. 3"-4" in diameter, 

 bristly ; seeds globose, 2" in diameter, orange, 

 more or less variegated. 



In dry soil, Missouri to Texas, Colorado and 

 Arizona. July-Aug. 



