EUPHORBIACE^. 311 



sometimes indehiscent. Seeds often with an aril, the embryo 

 enclosed in fleshy albumen. — Trees, shrubs or herbs, often 

 abounding in acrid milk. Leaves simple, rarely compound, 

 usually with stipules. 



1. CROTONOPSIS. MicA.— Crotonopsis. 

 (So called from its resembling the Croton.) 



Monoecious. Sterile Fl. Perianth 5-parted, with 5 peta- 

 loid scales. Stamens 5. Fertile Fl. • Perianth 5-parted. 

 Stigmas 3, twice bifid. Capsule 1 -seeded, not opening. 



C. linearis Mich. : stem erect, dichotomously branched ; leaves stellately 

 pubescent above, hairy and covered w^ith silvery scales beneath. C. ar- 

 gentea Pursh. Friesia argentca Spreng. 



Swamps in sands. N. J. to Car. W. to Miss. June. (^.—Stem 12 — 18 

 inches high, covered like the leaves, with soUtary scales. Leaves varying from 

 linear-lanceolate to ovate, on short petioles. Flowers in terminal and axillary 

 spikes, very minute. Linear-leaved Crotonopsis. 



2. PHYLLANTHUS. Linn.— VhyWenithus. 



(From the Greek (pvWov, a leaf, and avdoi, a, flower ; the flowers being con- 

 nected with the leaves.) 



Monoecious. Sterile Fl. Perianth 6-parted ; segments 

 spreading, colored, persistent. Stamens 3, very short, spread- 

 ing, united at base ; anthers didymous. Fertile Fl. Peri- 

 anth as in the sterile. Styles 3, bifid. Capsule 3-celled. 



P. Caroliniensis Walt. : herbaceous ; stem erect ; branches alternate and 

 distichous ; leaves alternate, sunple, elliptic-obovate, obtuse, smooth, some- 

 what distichous, on short petioles ; flowers few, (2 — 4,) axillary, on pedi- 

 cels, nodding. P. obovatus Willd. 



Banks of streams. Penn. to Geor. July. Aug. (1). — Stem 12 inches high, 

 with distichous branches, sometimes dark-purple. Flowers on short pedicels, 

 axillary, nodding, yellowish, with a purple tinge at base. 



Carolinian Phyllanthus. 



3. RICINUS. Linn.—VaAmsL Christi. 

 (From the Latin ricinus, a tick ; its seed resembling that insect.) 

 Monoecious. Sterile Fl. Perianth 5-parted. Stamens 

 numerous; filaments united, branching. Fertile Fl. Peri- 

 anth 3-parted. Styles 3, 2-parted. Capsule mostly echinate, 

 3-celled, 3-seeded. 



R. communis Linn. : stem herbaceous, glaucous-pruinose ; leaves peltate- 

 palmate ; lobes lanceolate, serrate ; capsule echinate. 



Arouu4 plantations at the South. Aug., Sept. (T). — Introduced. Cultivated 

 extensively in various parts of the U. S. for the purpose of obtaining oil from the 

 seed. Castor-oil Bean. 



