MONOECIA. MONADJELPHIA. 227 



ments articulated. Receptacle squamose. Fe- 

 male flower solitary, stipitate, naked. Styles 3, 

 bifid. Capsule 3 -grained. 



Lactescent plants which are either herbaceous or shrub- 

 by, leafless or foliaceous; stems in the leafless species 

 (which are principally indigenous to the deserts of Africa) 

 carnose, naked or spiny, resembUng the genus Cactus; — 

 in the other species which are mostly herbaceous, the 

 leaves are alternate and naked, or more rarely opposite, 

 and then usually stipulate, very rarely ternately verticil- 

 lated; in these the flowers are scattered or aggregated, 

 and in very many umbellate and involucrats. Stamina 

 perfecting at diflferent times. 



Species. 1. E. cyathophora, 2. dentata. 3. gramivifo- 

 iia. A. hypericifolia. 5. maculata. 6. thymifolia. 7 . polygoni- 

 folia. Q. Jpecacuanhx. Leaves sometimes linear. Stamina 

 collected into 5 bodies, containing about 6 in each, inter- 

 mixed with tlie plumose setae of the receptacle. 9. piiberi' 

 tissitna. 10. Peplus. 11. merciinalina. 12. marginata. Leaves 

 of the invoKicrum always variegated with white, 'v. v. On 

 the banks of the Missouri near the Arikaree station. 13 

 Lathyris. 14. coro/i'arc. Dioicous! iS.portulacoides. IQ.pilosa. 



Tliis vast genus of near 160 species is very widely dis- 

 persed through both hemispheres, but mere particularly 

 abundant in the warmer parts of America, in India, the 

 deserts of northern and southern Africa, and throughout 

 Europe but more frequent in the warmer parts. The eco- 

 nomy of the genus Euphorbia appears to be very linaited; 

 in the deserts of Africa tliey only tend as it were to aug- 

 ment the surrounding scenes of desolation; leafless, bit- 

 ter, thorny and poisonous, they seem to deny food to eveiy 

 animated being; amongst the European and American 

 species there are some which have been used medicinally, 

 but they are at best dangerous and needless remedies. 



774. FKYLLANTRUS. L. 



Masc, CaUx 5 or 6-parted. Filaments often 

 columnar. Anthers 3. Fem. as the male nec- 

 tary a 12-angled margin. Styles 3. Capsule 

 mostly 3-grained. 



Shrubby or aborescent, rarely herbaceous; leaves sim- 

 ple and distichal, v/ith axillury flowers or apparently pin- 

 nate, the leaflets then floriferous. 



Species. I. P. obovaius. Oas. Capsule rounds 3^cellcd^ 



