EUPHORBIACEAE. 213 



1. P. setigera (Hook.) Piper. (Turkey Mullein.) Low 

 spreading heavy-scented annual, hoary pubescent with a dense 

 stellate and spreading hispid pubescence; leaves ovoid or rhomboid, 

 2-5 cm. long, on slender petioles, the upper crowded and appearing 

 opposite or verticillate; staminate flowers few, long-pedicelled; 

 calyx with oblong, obtuse segments, 2 mm. long; pistillate 1-3 in 

 the axils; ovary and style densely pubescent; capsule and seed 4 mm. 

 long. {Eremocarpus setigerus Benth.) 



A common autumnal weed in all our valleys. Known as turkey 

 weed. 



3. RICINUS L. Castor-bean. 



A tall monoecious herb, often persisting for several 

 years and becoming a small tree. Leaves alternate, 

 large, peltate, palmately lobed and toothed. Flowers 

 numerous, small, apetalous, greenish, in terminal racemes, 

 the pistillate above the staminate. Staminate flowers 

 with a 3-5-parted calyx and numerous crowded stamens; 

 filaments branched. Pistillate flowers with a caducous 

 calyx. Ovary 3-celled, 3-ovuled; styles 3, united at the 

 base, 2-cleft. Capsule subglobose or oval, smooth or 

 spiny, separating into 3 2-valved carpels. Seeds ovoid 

 or oblong, mottled. 



1. R. communis L. An introduced plant which is becoming 

 well established. In protected places it often becomes woody and 

 tree-like. 



4. STILLINGIA L. 



Glabrous herbs or shrubs with alternate or rarely 

 opposite, entire or toothed leaves, often with 2 glands at 

 the base, and monoecious bracteolate apetalous flowers 

 in terminal spikes; bractlets 2-glandular. Staminate 

 flowers several together in the axils of the bractlets; 

 calyx slightly 2-3-lobed; stamens 2-3, exserted. Pistil- 

 late flowers solitary in the axils of the lower bractlets; 

 calyx 3-lobed; ovary 2-3-celled; ovules 1 in each cell; 

 styles short, somewhat united at the base. Capsule 

 2-3-lobed, separating into 2-3 2-valved carpels. Seeds 

 ovoid or subglobose. 



1. S. linearifolia Wats. Herbaceous, branching from the some- 

 what woody base; the stems and branches slender, terete, ascending, 

 3 dm. high or more; leaves linear, entire or rarely obscurely glandular- 

 toothed, acute, 1.5-2.5 cni. Jong; spikes slender, open, 2.5-4 mm. 

 long, with 2-7 scattered pistillate flowers below; bracts very small, 

 ovate, acute, minutely glandular on both sides, 1-flowered; staminate 

 flowers minute; calyx turbinate; stamens 2; pistillate calyx none; 



