Vor. II.] SPURGE FAMILY. 381 
31. Euphorbia Cyparissias IL. Cypress 
Spurge. (Fig. 2337.) 
Euphorbia Cyparissias \,. Sp. Pl. 461. 1753. 
Perennial by horizontal rootstocks, bright green, 
glabrous. Stems mostly clustered, often growing 
in large patches, scaly below, leafy above, erect, 1° 
high, or less, branched, the branches topped by 
many-rayed umbels; leaves linear, or almost filiform, 
those subtending the umbels whorled, the others 
alternate, sessile, 6’’-1’ long, 4% ’/-1%4’” broad; in- 
volucres turbinate-campanulate, 1’’ long, short-pe- 
duncled, with 4 unappendaged crescent-shaped 
glands; capsule subglobose, 114’” in diameter, 
spreading, granular on the rounded lobes; seeds ob- 
long, 1’’ long, smooth. 
Escaped from gardens to roadsides and waste places 
in the Atlantic States. Naturalized from Europe. 
Called also Quack Salver’s Spurge. Poisonous when 
eaten in quantities. Bracts yellowish at flowering time. 
Lower leaves often mere scales. May-Sept. 
32. Euphorbia robusta (Engelm. ) Small. 
Rocky Mountain Spurge. (Fig. 2338.) 
Euphorbia montana 8 robusta Engelm. Bot. Mex. 
Bound. Surv. 192. 1859. 
Perennial by a perpendicular rootstock, glabrous, 
glaucous. Stems slender, clustered, erect or assur- 
gent, 4/-14’ tall, slightly angled, scaly below, 
branched, topped by a 3-5-rayed umbel; leaves, 
except the whorl subtending the umbel, scattered, 
ovate or oblong-oyate, 5/’-8’’ long, thick, obtuse or 
apiculate, entire, sessile; bracts opposite, triangu- 
lar-ovate or subreniform, involucres campanulate, 
1%” long, sessile, bearing 4 somewhat crescent- 
shaped unappendaged buff crenulate glands; 
capsule globose-ovoid, 2’ long, horizontal, its 
lobes rounded; seeds oblong or obovyoid-oblong, 
terete, 11¢’’ long, gray, minutely pitted. 
Montana and Wyoming to Nebraska and Arkansas. 
May-Oct. 
Family 58. CALLITRICHACEAE Lindl. Nat. Syst. Ed. 2,191. 1836.* 
WATER STARWORT FAMILY. 
Herbaceous aquatic or rarely terrestrial plants, with slender or capillary 
stems, opposite exstipulate entire spatulate or linear leaves, and minute perfect 
or monoecious axillary flowers. Perianth none. Bracts 2, sac-like or none. 
Stamen 1; filament elongated, filiform; anthers cordate, 2-celled, opening by 
lateral slits. Pistil 1; ovary 4-celled; ovules 1 in each cavity; styles 2, filiform, 
papillose nearly the whole length. Fruit compressed, lobed, the lobes more or 
less winged or keeled on the margins, separating at maturity into 4 flattish 
1-seeded carpels. Seed anatropous, pendulous; endosperm fleshy; embryo 
straight or slightly curved, nearly as long as the endosperm. 
Consists of the following genus : 
1 CALELERICHE Sp: Plioggs i753. 
Characters of the family. The affinities are variously regarded by botanical authors, 
some placing it in HALORAGEAE, some in ONAGRACEAE, others near EUPHORBIACEAE, the 
position here maintained. [Greek, beautiful hair, from the hair-like stems. ] 
About 20 species, of very wide geographic distribution. Besides the following, about 7 others 
occur in the southern and western parts of North America. Known as Water Starwort or Star-grass. 
Fruit short-peduncled; bracts wanting; terrestrial. 1. C, Austint, 
Fruit sessile; aquatic, or some forms growing in mud. 
Bracts present. 
Fruit oval, flat on the face, longer than the styles. . palustris. 
2G 
Fruit obovate, plano-convex, shorter than the styles. 3. C. heterophylla. 
Bracts none; leaves all linear, submersed. 4. C. bifida, 
* Text contributed by the late Rev. THOMAS MORONG. 
K p. 
