488 CXXI. EUPHORBIACEiE. • Croton. 



16. E. PUNicEA. Scarlet or Splendid Enphorbia. — St. suffruticose, fleshy, armed 

 with rigid, sharp thorns ; Ivs. ovate, tapering to the base, glabrous, entire, acute, 

 mucronate; pcd. axillary, 2 or 3 times dichotomous ; involucrate bracts scarlet. 

 — A singular and showy garden plant, 



2. ACALYPHA. 



The Greek name for the nettle, which this plant resembles. 



Fls. c?. — cf Calyx 3 — 4-parted ; sta. 8 — 16, united at base. — 9 

 Calyx 3-parted, segments connivent, persistent: styles 3, elongated, 

 2 — 3-parted; caps. 3-celled, cells 1 -seeded. — Herbaceous or shrubby. 

 Lvs. allernatc. 



A. ViRGiNiCA. Three-seeded Mercury. 



Pubescent, branched; lvs. petiolate, oblong-lanceolate, serrate ; invol. of 

 the fertile flowers cordate, broad-ovate, acuminate, veined and toothed. — In 

 dry and gravel)^ soils, U. S. and Can., rare in N. Eng. Stem erect or ascend- 

 ing at ba.se, 10 — 18' high. Leaves 3-veined, 1 — 2h' long, ^ as wtde, hairy, ob- 

 tusish. Pistillate flower at the base of the peduncle of the staminate spike. 

 Invol ucrum of the fruit axillary, on a short stalk, shorter than the leaves, its 

 margin cut half way down into long, acute segments. Aug. 



/?, (A. Caroliniana. Wall.) Lvs. rhombic-ovate, on long petioles, — Penn. 

 to Ind. ! 



3, RICINUS, 



Lat. riciniis, an insect, which the fruit of these plants resemble. 



Flowers c?. — c^ Calyx 5-parted ; sta. many. 9 Calyx 3-parted; 

 sty. 3, 2-cleft ; caps, echinate, 3-celled, 3-seeded. — Herbs and shrubs 

 with peltate., palmate lvs. 



R. COMMUNIS. Castor-oil Bean. Palma Christi. — St. frosted or glaucous, 

 while, herbaceous ; lvs. peltate, palmate, lobes lanceolate, serrate ; caps, prick- 

 ly. — Native of the E. Indies, where it becomes a tree, although an herbaceous 

 annual with us. In our gardens it is a tall, smooth plant of a light bluish- 

 green color. Leaves 4 — 1'2" diam., on long petioles. From its seeds is ex- 

 pressed the well known castor oil of the shops. For this purpose it is exten- 

 sively cultivated in the U. S. July, Aug. ij: 



4. CROTON OP SIS. Michx, 



Is'amed from its resemblance {otpii) to the next genus below. 



Flowers § . — cJ* Calyx 5-parted ; cor. of 5 petals ; stamens 5. 9 

 Calyx 5-parted ; cor. : stig. 3, twice bifid ; caps. 1 -seeded, indehis- 

 cent. — ® Lvs. alternate. stcUately pubescent and shining. Fls. aggre- 

 gate, the upper ones sterile. 



C. LINEARIS. Michx. 



St. erect, dichotomously branched ; lvs. clothed with a stellate pubescence 

 above, with hairs and shining scales beneath. — In the sandy swamps of N, J. 

 to Car. and 111. Nuttall. Stem 12—18' high, and like the leaves .sprinkled with 

 silvery, shining scales. Leaves on short petioles, linear-lanceolate or lance- 

 ovate. Flowers very minute, in terminal and axillary spikes. June. 



5. CROTON, 



A Greek name, synonymous with the Lat. ricinus. See genus No. 3. 



Flowers c?. — d" Calyx cylindrical, 5-toothed ; cor. of 5 petals or ; 

 sta. 10 — 15. 9 Calyx 5 — many-sepaled ; cor. 0; styles 3 or 6, bi- 

 fid ; capsule of 3, coherent, 1 -seeded carpels. — A large gejius, mostly 

 tropical^ and incoiispicuous weeds. 



1. C. CAPiTATiM. Michx, 



SL woolly, toinentose; lvs oval-oblong, obtuse, rounded and entire at the 

 base, clothed with soft tomentum on both surfaces-, fertile Jls. at the base of the 



