Soe 
672 EU PHORBIACEA. 
Order 1. EupHorBIACE, the Spurge Order.—Character. 
—Trees, shrubs, or herbs, usually with an acrid milky juice. 
Leaves alternate or opposite, simple (fig. 332) or rarely com- 
pound, stipulate or exstipulate. Flowers umisexual (jigs. 
512, 551, 627, and 1943), moncecious (jig. 1043) or dicecious, 
axillary or terminal, sometimes enclosed in a calyx-like invo- 
lucre (fig. 1043, i); achlamydeous (fig. 627), or with a 
lobed (figs 551, 641, .-) inferior calyx having on its inside 
glandular or scaly appendages (fig. 641, t, and 1043, b), or even 
evident petals (figs. 551, p, and 641, p), which are either dis- 
tinct or united. Male flowers consisting of 1 (figs. 512 and 
1043, fm) or more stamens (fig. 551, e), distinct or united into 
one or more bundles (jig. 551, a); anthers 2-celled. Female 
Fie. 2043. Fic. 1044. 
Fig. 1043. Moncecious head of flowers of a species of Euphorbia. i. Invo- 
lucre, a portion of which has been removed in front. g, g. Glands on the 
divisions of theinvolucre. 6,0, Scales or bractlets at the base of the flowers. 
Jm,jfm. Male flowers, each consisting of astamen supported on a pedicel, 
to which it is articulated. 7. Female flower, supported onastalk, From 
Jussieu. —— Fig. 1044. Vertical section of the pericarp and seed of a carpel 
(coccus) of a species of Euphorbia. 
flowers with a superior ovary (figs. 641 and 642), which is either 
elevated upon a stalk (jig. 1048, ff) or sessile (figs. 611 and 
642), 1- 2- 3- or many-celled ; styles either absent or corre- 
sponding in number to the cells of the ovary, entire or divided 
(figs. 627, 641, and 642) ; stigmas equal in number to the cells 
of the ovary, or, when the styles are divided, corresponding in 
number to their divisions (figs. 627, 641, and 642); ovules 1 or 
2 in each cell, suspended from the inner angle (fig. 1044). 
Fruit either dry, and its component carpels then separating 
from each other and from the axis (figs. 675 and 711) and 
usually opening with elasticity ; or succulent and indehiscent. 
Seeds 1 or 2 in each cell, suspended (jig. 1044), often caruncu- 
late; embryo (fig. 1044) straight, in fleshy albumen, with 
flattened cotyledons, and a superior radicle. 
Diagnosis. — Herbs, shrubs, or trees, commonly with an 
acrid milky juice. Flowers unisexual, moncecious or dicecious. 
