EUPHORBIACEiE. 



HURA. 



Flowers monoecious, amentaceous. $ . Calyx truncate. Sta- 

 mens numerous, united into a solid colnmn. 5 . Style 1. Stigma 

 with 12-18 rays. Capsule with 12-18 cocci. 



390. H. crepitans Linn, sp.pl. 1431. Willd. xiv. 592. — 

 (Hort. cliff, t. 34. Trew. tt. 34— 35.) — West India Islands, 

 Mexico and Guayana. (Sandbox.) 



A tree abounding in milky juice. Leaves cordate, acuminate, entire, 

 or very slightly toothed, stalked, smooth, coriaceous, with simple veins 

 passing from the midrib to the margin, in a curved direction within a 

 i of an inch or so of each* other, and connected by numerous oblique 

 veinlets ; stipules large, ovate, leafy, deciduous ; petioles as long or 

 rather longer than the leaves, with 2 glands at the apex. Male flowers 

 arranged in an erect long-stalked axillary conical catkin, composed of 

 imbricated 1-flowered scales. Calyx short, urceolate, truncate. 

 Column of stamens surrounded in the middle by 2 or 3 rows of tuber- 

 cles, each of which bears an anther on its under side. Female flower 

 solitary, at the base of the male peduncle or near it. Calyx urceolate, 

 entire, or dividing eventually into 3 parts. Stigma very large, discoidal, 

 peltate. Fruit a depressed umbilicated woody capsule, about the size 

 of a middling apple, with from 12-18 furrows, which separate into as 

 many cocci, which fly asunder, each opening into 2 valves, with great 

 elasticity when dry and fully ripe. — Milk so venomous as to produce 

 blindness a few days after touching the eye. Seeds a violent drastic 

 dangerous purgative. Aublet states that negro slaves to whom 1 or 2 

 seeds had been administered in the form of an emulsion were nearly 

 killed by them. Martius reckons the plant an emetic. 



EXC^CARIA. 



Flowers monoecious or dioecious, amentaceous. $ . Nothing 

 but staminiferous bracts. Stamens 7-9, united into about 3 

 parcels, all connected at the base. 5 . Calyx 3-fid, or 0. 

 Style 3-parted. Capsule 3-coccous. A. de J. in part. 



391. E. Agallocha Linn, sp.pl. 1451. Sivartz jl. bid. occ. 

 ii. 1121. Hoxb.Jl. ind. iii. 756. — Arbor excaecans Humph. 

 ii. tt. 79, 80. — Common in various parts of the continent and 

 islands of India, especially on the coast. 



A small, crooked, stunted tree. Leaves alternate, about the ex- 

 tremities of the branchlets, stalked, ovate or cordate, but usually acute 

 at the base, smooth on both sides, remotely and slightly serrate, 

 pointed, with 2 glands at the base, and about 2 inches long. Petioles 

 about an inch long, smooth, channelled. Stipules small, fine pointed. 

 (J. Aments axillary, often crowded, cylindric, while young im- 

 bricated with five spiral rows of 1-flowered, reniform bracts, which 

 lengthen by age, when the flowers become distinct. Calyx 0. Five 

 small scales round the base of the filaments. Anthers with 2 large 

 lobes. $ • Aments solitary, axillary, the lower half containing 



190 



