126 



DICOTYLEDONS 



Asthma Plant; Kan. Nene akki soppii). E. yiivulia is a xero- 

 philous succulent with a milky sap, and having the general 



appearance of a 

 chandelier (tig. 

 11 G). It is out 

 of leaves during 

 the greater part 

 of the year, but 

 with its persistent 

 stipules on, which 

 are modified into 

 sharp spines seat- 

 ed on the tuber- 

 cled nodes in five 

 spiral lines up the 

 stem. The beau- 

 tiful garden plant 

 Poinsettia piil- 

 c her rim a with 

 scarlet bracts, 

 and the Slipper 

 Plant {Pedllan- 

 tliHS tithymaloi- 

 des) have similar 

 fiowers. 



A third type of 

 flowers is seen in 

 the genus Phyllanthus, where the flowers are not united into 

 heads, and have perianths just like the Castor plant, but they 

 have two ovules in each cell of the ovary, whereas the Castor 

 has only one. The Awla Tree {P/(- enibUca; Kan., Mai., Tarn. 

 Nelli) is a deciduous tree, with gray l)ark peeling ofi" in couch- 

 like scales and with liard red wood showing the medullary rays 

 very clearly on a section. Tlie branchlets are jointed, and bear 

 l)ifarious linear leaves, so that they are sometimes erroneously 

 taken for pinnate leaves. Its fruit is an edible drui)e. Ph. nirnrl 

 {Kan. Nela-nelli) is a small weed found commonly in the rains. 



Fig. 116. — Euphorbia nivulia. 



