OXV. EUPHOEBIACBiE. 609 



Wight, Icon. t. 1885; Dalz. & Gibs. p. 232. B. montmmm, Muell. 

 Arg. in DC. Proclr. v. 15, part 2, p. 1125 ; AVatt, Diet. Econ. Prod. 

 V- 1, p. 364. — Flowers : Dec. Veen. Ddtiti ; Jamdlyota. 



KoNKAN : Stocks !, Woodrowl, Dahelll, Lambert; Uran (Bombay harbour), Stocks] ; 

 Eatnagiri, Stocks\\ Caranja Hills, Dahdl cj'- Gihmn. — Distiub. India (Behar, 

 N. Bengal, Cbota Nagpur, Assam, Biruia, W. Peninsula); Malaya. 



The seeds are used as a drastic purgative, one seed being the dose for an adult. 

 The root is considered cathartic and is much employed in Hindu medicine. See 

 Watt, Diet. Econ. Prod. 1. c. 



20. CLAOXYLON, A. Juss. 



Evergreen trees or shrubs (rarely annual herbs). Leaves alternate, 

 usually long-petiolate, oblong, entire or sinuate-tootlied, usually penni- 

 nerved. Flowers usually dicecious (in the single Bombay species 

 moncEcious), snlall, in axillaiy or lateral spikes or racemes. Male 

 FLOWERS : Calyx subglobose, of 3-4 valvate segments. Petals 0. Disk 0. 

 Stamens numerous (rarely few), inserted on or around a central receptacle, ' 

 often intermixed with glands or long linear ciliate scales ; filaments 

 free ; anthers erect, the cells connate at the base only but not confluent, 

 free above and erect, dehiscing extrorsely. Pistillode 0. Female 

 ELOWEES : Calyx as in the male. Petals 0. Disk or of 3 petal-like 

 hypogyuous scales alternate with the carpels. Ovary 3-celled ; ovule 

 solitary in each cell ; styles short (rarely long), entire, fringed, spi'eading. 

 Capsule of three 2-valved cocci, or indehiscent and coriaceous. Seeds 

 subglobose, with or without an aril ; testa crustaceous ; albumen fleshy ; 

 cotyledons broad, flat. — Disteib. Tropics of the Old World ; species 

 about 40. 



1. Claoxylon Mercurialis, Thwaites Eaum.(\'^^\)^.Tl\. Animal, 

 erect, 8-24 in. high, glabrous or nearly so. Leaves numerous, spreading, 

 1-2 by \-\ in., ovate-lanceolate, subacute, crenate-serrate, thin, glabrous, 

 base rounded or acute ; nerves 4-5 pairs, slender; petioles 4-| in. long, 

 very slender. Flowers few, distant, in very slender racemes usually 

 longer tlian the leaves, the female flowers usually solitary \\'\W\ several 

 males. Male elowees : Sepals 3, broadly ovate, -^^ in. long. Stamens 

 variable, usually 5-10. Female elowees : Sepals 3, broadly ovate, 

 acute, ^^ in. long in fruit. Ovary pubescent ; styles y^ in. long, 

 fringed, spreading. Capsules \ in. in diam., of 3 subglobose almost 

 distinct hairy cocci. Seeds globose, pale-brown, deeply foveolate. Fl. 

 B. I. v. 5, p. 412 ; Trim. Fl. Ceyl. v. 4, p. 63 ; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. 

 Nat. V. 12 (1899) p. 372 ; Prain, Beng. PI. p. 947. Tragla Mer- 

 curictlis, Linn. Sp. PI. (1753) p. 980 ; Grab. Cat. p. 186. Micrococca 

 Mercurialis, Beuth. in Hook. Niger Flora (1849) p. 503. MicrostaclDjs 

 Mercurialis, Dalz. & Gibs. Bo. Fl. p. 227.— Flowers : July. 



Kanaka: Law I ; Karwar, a common weed, Talbot \ Gujarat: Porbander, Wood- 

 row. — DisTRiB. India (Behar, Birma, W. Peninsula); Ceylon, Arabia, Tropical Africa. 

 A weed usually in cultivated ground. 



27. ACALYPHA, Linn. 



Herbs shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate, toothed or crenate (rarely 

 entire), penninerved or 3-5-nerved. Flowers usually monoecious, 

 minute, in axillary or terminal racemes, or the females 1-2 in a 



VOL. II. 2 s 



