44. Celastraceae 105 



4. Plants perennial, with a rhizome; stems clustered; capsules 

 granular; seeds smooth. 

 5. Leaves lanceolate to linear, 3-15 mm wide; a weed in fields 

 and waste places in some of the northern counties; ap- 

 parently migrating southward, and now known to occur 

 as far south as Champaign and VermiHon counties; nat. 

 from Eur. June-Sept. Leafy Spurge E. esula L. 



5. Leaves linear, 1-3 mm wide; roadsides and cemeteries; nat. 



from Eur. May-Sept. Cypress Spurge E. cyparissias L. 



4. Plants annual or biennial; capsules smooth; seeds pitted. 



6. Seeds finely pitted, 1-1.5 mm long; lobes of the capsules 2- 



crested; waste places; nat. from Eur.; Menard Co. June- 

 Sept E. peplus L. 



6. Seeds coarsely pitted, 2 mm long; lobes of the capsules 

 rounded; wooded slopes and gravelly soil, local. May- 

 June E. conimutata Engelm. 



3. Leaves serrulate. 



7. Leaves pubescent beneath; an occasional weed in waste 



places; nat. from Eur. June-Aug E. platyphylla L. 



7. Leaves glabrous or nearly so. 



8. Leaves spatulate; capsules warty; seeds smooth; moist 



ground, local. May- June E. ohtusata Pursh 



8. Leaves obovate; capsules smooth; seeds reticulate; waste 



places; nat. from Eur. June-Oct. Wart Spurge 



E. helioscopia L. 



8. Poinsettia Graham 



1. Leaves chiefly opposite, dentate, strigillose; glands of the involucres 

 stipitate; roadsides and fields, probably adv. from w. U.S. July- 

 Sept P. dentata (Michx.) Small 



1. Leaves alternate, oval to linear, glabrous or nearly so, often lobed 

 and red-based; glands sessile; roadsides and waste places. June- 

 Aug. [P. hctcrophylla oi diu\h.] P. cyatJiophora (Murr.) Small 



44. Celastraceae Lindl. — Staff-tree Family 

 1. Leaves opposite: flowers axillary, cymose, or solitary; capsules 4- to 5- 



loculed, usually lobed 1. Euonymus 



1. Leaves alternate; flowers in terminal racemes; capsules 3-loculcd, sub- 

 globose 2. Celastrus 



1. Euonymus L. 

 1. Erect shrubs. 



2. Leaves petioled; flower-parts commonly in fours; capsules 

 smooth; woods near streams; throughout 111. May-July. 



Wahoo E. atropurpureus Jacq. 



2. Leaves nearly sessile; flower-parts commonly in fives; capsules 

 rough-warty; woods, rare and local; Pulaski and Wabash 

 counties. May E. amrriconus L. 



