68 EUPHORBIACEZ. 
pound, sometimes (in Euphorbia) consisting of single naked 1- 
stamened florets in a perianth-like involucre surrounding a pistil, 
more often with the main inflorescence contripetal axillary or 
iracemose, the subdivisions cymose, sometimes wholly cymose 
on terminal dichotomous panicles, or reduced to simple clusters 
or solitary florets; bracts usually solitary, small and scale-like, 
sometimes enlarged or 2-3-connate and forming an involucre ; 
bracteoles often 2 within each bract or numerous in the more 
open cymes. Perianth often small, sometimes obsolete, often 
dissimilar in the two sexes, usually simple, calycine and with the 
segments valvate or imbricate, sometimes calycine 2-seriate and 
imbricate with the segments all similar, or occasionally dissimilar 
and rarely double, the inner then of 4 or 5 scale-like or very rarely 
conspicuous petals. Matz-flowers. Torus sometimes forming 
an intra-staminal disk or disk-glands or of lobes alternate with the 
stamens of the outer series. Stamens 1-many, "free or connate ; 
anthers 2-celled, with longitudinal transverse or porous dehiscence. 
Frma.e-flowers. Sepals usually larger and less connate than in the 
male. Disk hypogynous, entire or of distinct glands, or none. 
Staminodes often present. Ovary superior, usually of 3 more or 
less united carpels, styles as many as the carpels, united free or 
divided, stigmas usually on the inner face of the styles or style- 
arms ; ovules 1-2 in each carpel, pendulous from the inner angle 
of the cell, the funicle often thickened. Fruit usually a capsule of 
three 2-valved 1-2-seeded cocci separating from a persistent axis, 
or a drupe with 1-3 cells, or of one or more combined nuts. 
Seeds laterally attached at or above the middle of the cells with 
or without an aril or caruncle at the hilum; embryo straight, 
enclosed in fleshy albumen ; cotyledons flat, leafy, radicle superior, 
albumen rarely none and cotyledons fleshy. Species about 4,000, 
throughout the world, except in Arctic regions, but chiefly tropical. 
Flowers moncecious, in heads resembling single 
flowers consisting of a calyx-like involucre 
enclosing several flowers without a perianth, 
viz., many males, each consisting of a soli- 
tary pedicelled stamen surrounding a single 
central female consisting of a 3-carpelled 
pistil; fruit a capsule.—Herbs shrubs or 
small trees with milky juice. ; . 1. EUpPHoRBIA. 
