EUPHORBIA AND CASTOR-OIL FAMILY. 235 



These flowers require further explanation. It will 

 be noticed that the stamens in (3) are of different 

 lengths (c), indicating different stages of growth. Each 

 stamen (4) has a joint (at a). The interpretation of 

 this is, that the lower part {b) is the pedicel, while the 

 upper part (c) is the filament. Hence each stamen is 



Fig. 93.—Euplior'bia (Spurge) (For description, see text.) 



all that exists to represent a male flower. In some 

 species there is a little bract at the base of each 

 stamen, which would also tend to prove that each stamen 

 is afloit'cr. 



(5) is a section through the three-celled ripening 

 ovary, showing one seed in each cell. 



(6), the ripe capsule, bursts elastically with three 



