232 Euphorbiaceae 



cleft. Fruit mostly a 3-lobed capsule separating often 

 elastically into 3 2-valved carpels from a persistent axis. 

 Seeds anatropous ; embryo straight or slightly curved ; 



endosperm fleshy or oily ; cotyledons broad. 



Flowers with true calyx, not involucrate. 

 Stellate-pubescent. 



Perennial; capsule 3-celled; dioecious. I, Croton. 



Annual; capsule 1-celled; monoecious. 2. Eremocarpus. 

 Glabrous or nearly so. 



Leaves small, entire. 3. Stillingia. 



Leaves large, palmately lobed. 4. Ricinus. 

 Flowers subtended by an involucre; calyx represented by a minute scale at 



the base of the filament-like pedicel. 5. Euphorbia. 



1. CROTON L. Crotox. 

 Stellate-pubescent, more or less glandular and strong- 

 scented herbs or shrubs, with mostly alternate, entire, 

 toothed or lobed leaves, and monoecious or dioecious 

 flowers in terminal or axillary clusters. Staminate 

 flowers uppermost ; calyx usually 5-parted ; petals usu- 

 ally present, small or rudimentary, alternating with the 

 glands ; stamens 5 or more, inflexed. Pistillate flowers 

 clustered below the staminate ; calyx 5-10-parted ; 

 petals usually wanting ; ovary 3-celled ; ovules 1 in each 

 cell ; styles once, twice or many times 2-cleft. Capsule 

 splitting into usually 2-valved carpels ; seeds smooth or 

 minutely pitted. 



1. C. Californicus Muell. Arg. Suffrutescent, procumbent or 



ascending, 4-12 dm. high, dichotomously branched ; the branches 

 slender, cinereous throughout with a dense appressed scurf; peti- 

 oles slender, 2-3.5 cm. long; stipules obsolete; leaves generally 

 oblong, 2.5-5 cm. long, 8-18 mm. wide, entire, 3-5-nerved ; dioe- 

 cious; staminate plants more slender and short-branched; ra- 

 cemes simple; flowers about 3 mm. broad, on pedicels 4-6 mm. 

 long; sepals 5, ovate ; stamens 12-15 ; filaments ciliate ; pistillate 

 raceme mostly 2-3-flowered ; styles 3, palmately 3-5-cleft or twice 

 2-cleft. Capsule usually 5-6 mm. high; seeds oval or globose, 

 4.5-5 mm. long, black. 



Common in dry ground throughout our range. 



