Plate 382. 

 GJ10T0N MAXTMUS. 



The Euphorbiaceoua plants arc many of them known for 

 their medicinal and poisonous properties. Many of them fur- 

 nish the Africans and Brazilians with a mortal poison for their 

 arrows. The milky juice which some of them emit when 

 punctured, if rubbed into the eyes, produces inflammation, and 



even blindness; while some, such as Croton, Cascarilla and Eu- 

 phorbia, are valuable drugs. To it belongs also the Manihot or 



Cassava, which, although, when eaten raw. is a> violent poison, 

 yet when roasted, becomes a wholesome and nutritious food. 

 Man\ of the genera are very ornamental, and none more so 

 than the Crotons, which have supplied so many valuable plants 

 to our conservatories and exhibitions, not on account of the 

 brilliancy of their flowers, hut for the singularity and beauty 

 of their foliage. 



Croton maximus is one of the results of the voyage of Mr. 

 John Gould Veitch amongst the South Sea Islands, a voyage 

 which, while it has enabled him to add many plants interesting 

 both to the botanist and horticulturist, has been injurious to his 

 own health, owing to the zeal and energy with which he entered 

 into it. We have seen the collection of Crotons which he was 

 enabled to collect at that time ; they are all of them beautiful ; 

 •-but of them all this is the largest and broadest yellow-leaf 

 species; it is of robust habit, and will no doubt make a line ex- 

 hibition plant. The Leaves are often a foot long, and three to four 

 inches wide, and it is certainly a great advance on all at pre- 

 senl in cultivation." The leaf, as will be seen from the draw- 

 ing, is of a rich golden colour, marked on each side of the mid 

 rib with dark olive-green bands of irregular form. One leaf 

 lias been drawn bj Mr. Andrews, of the natural size, while he 



