126 NAT. ORDER. — EUPHORBIACELE. 



auce, which are shaped like those of the second species. It is a 

 native of the Canary Islands, and flowers in March and April. 



Eupliorhia ojjicinarum. Officinal Spurge. This species puts out 

 many stalks just above the surface, which are thick, succulent, and 

 roundish, having eight or ten angles whilst they are young, but as 

 they grow old they loose their angles and become round — the 

 branches grow distorted and irregular, first horizontal, but after- 

 wards turning upwards ; the angles are armed with small, crooked 

 spines, and on the upper part of the branches appear the flowers, 

 which is in June and July — they are small, and of a greenish-white 

 color. It is a native of Africa. 



Euphorbia caput-medusce. Medusa's-head Spurge. This species 

 has thick, roundish, succulent stalks, which are scaly ; they send 

 out many branches from their sides of the same form, which are 

 twisted, and run one over another, so as to appear like a nest of ser- 

 pents, whence it has the appellation of 3Iedusa's-head. At the end 

 of these are narrow, thick, succulent leaves, which drop ofT; and 

 round the upper part of them the flowers appear — these are white, 

 and of the same form with those of the other sorts, but larger ; and 

 frequently succeeded by fruit. 



There is a variety termed Little Medusa's-head, which has a thick, 

 short stalk, seldom more than ten or twelve inclies high, from which 

 spring out a great number of slender, trailing branches, about a foot 

 in length, intermixing, and having the same appearance with the 

 other, but smaller and much shorter; the ends beset with narrow 

 leaves, between which the white flowers come out and appear. It 

 is a native of Africa. 



Euphorbia tithijmaloidcs. Myrtle-leaved Spurge. This is a wand- 

 like, suberect plant, six feet high, the whole of it abounding in a 

 white, bilterish milky juice; the stems numerous, round, smooth, 

 weak, very pliant, branched, the size of a man's thumb — the elder 

 ones ash-colored, and the younger green ; the leaves, some obtuse, 

 others acute, coriaceous, quite entire, petioled, deep green* two or 



