376 EUPHORBIACEAE 
C. capitatus, Michx. (Fig. 5, pl. 87.) Caprrare Croton, Stem 
densely woolly, leaves woolly on both sides, oblong-lance-shaped with 
the base rounded or heart-shaped. Clusters of inconspicuous staminate 
flowers just above the more dilated group of pistillate flowers. These 
staminate flowers have 5 small petals and 10 or more stamens. Pistillate 
flowers in a rounded group. Only in southern part of our area. May- 
October. 
3. CROTONOPSIS, Michx. 
Herbs, with silky but shining leaves, leaves alternate (opposite in our 
species). Calyx 5-parted. Petals, none. Stamens 5. Flowers in loose 
branching clusters, staminate above. 
C. linearis, Michx. (Fig. 4, pl. 87.) Croronorsis. Whole plant sil- 
very from shining scales. Stem erect, branching in regular pairs, 12 to 
18 in. high. Leaves 1 to 14 in. long, narrow lance-shaped or broader, to 
narrow egg-shaped, on short leaf-stalks, opposite. Flowers very small in 
terminal spikes or masses. Southern part of our area. July-Sept. 
4. ACALYPHA, L. 
Our species herbs, with pistils and stamens occupying different flowers 
on the same plant. Stems erect and branching. Leaves alternate. The 
staminate flowers in axillary spikes below the pistillate flowers with calyx 
of 4 sepals. Pistillate flowers each subtended by a leafy bract, calyx of 
4 or 5 sepals. Ovary 3-celled, styles 3; cells each with one seed. 
1. A. ostryaefolia, Ridd. (Fig. 1, pl. 87.) Turee-sEEpED Mercury. 
Stem branched, hairy, 1 to 2 ft. high; leaves on leaf-stalks about 4 length 
of leaves or more; leaves egg-shaped, sharp pointed at apex, rounded or 
heart-shaped at base, with toothed borders, 2 to 4 in. long. Staminate 
flowers very small on somewhat lengthened spikes. Corolla absent. Plant 
resembles a nettle, hence its name, Acalypha, an ancient name for the 
nettle. 
2. A. virginica, L. (Fig. 2, pl. 87.) VirGINIA THREE-SEEDED MER- 
cury. Plant 1 to 2 ft. high becoming purple. Leaves egg-shaped, not 
heart-shaped at base but somewhat tapered. Flowers of both kinds are 
enclosed within a fringed leafy bract. 
3. A. gracilens, A. Gray. (Fig. 3, pl. 87.) SLENDER THREE-SEEDED 
Mercury. Leaves linear or lance-shaped. Stems very slender. The 
staminate spike generally exceeds the fringed bract. Otherwise the plant 
has characters of No. 2. 
5. EUPHORBIA, L. 
Herbs, with staminate and pistillate flowers on the same plant and 
generally surrounded by the same involucre. These involucres are bell- 
shaped, having 4 or 5 segments resembling petals which alternate with as 
many gland-like teeth (Fig. 1, pl. 88). The involucres are subtended by 
bracts which are often brightly colored. Stamens scattered over the 
inner surface of the involucre; pistillate flower solitary, the ovary is 
situated on a pedicel, which inereases until it lifts the ovary in general 
outside the bell-shaped involuere, where it droops outward and downward, 
Capsule 3-lobed. 
