43^ EUPHORBIACE^ 



or an involucre. In tlie large genus Euphorbia there is a cup- 

 shaped involucre, with yellow crescent-shaped glands round its 

 margin, enclosing several staminate flowers, » each consisting of 

 one stamen on a pedicel, surrounding one longer-stalked carpellate 

 flower of 3 united carpels, with as many styles, stigmas, chambers 

 to the fruit, and seeds. The jruit often separates elastically into 

 its constituent carpels. Among so numerous an assemblage of 

 plants, we should expect to And a considerable variety of proper- 

 ties, which, indeed, exists, though nearly all the Order agree in 

 the acrid, narcotic, or corrosive character of the juice. A small 

 quantity of the milky juice of one of our herbaceous British 

 species of Spurge {Euphorbia) placed upon the tongue produces a 

 burning heat in the mouth and throat, which continues for many 

 hours, but may be allayed by frequent draughts of milk. The 

 roots of several of the common kinds enter into the composition 

 of some of the quack fever medicines ; but they are too violent 

 in their action to be used with safety. The Irish Spurge {E. 

 liiberna) is extensively used by the peasants of Kerry for poisoning, 

 or rather stupefying, fish. So powerful are its effects, that a small 

 creel, or basket, filled with the bruised plant, suffices to poison 

 the fish for several miles down a river. The Caper-Spurge {E. 

 Ldthyris), a common weed in gardens, is a dangerous substitute 

 for genuine capers, its unripe fruits superficially resembling the 

 unopened flower-buds of Cap par is spinosa, an entirely distinct 

 shrubby plant, indigenous to the south of Europe. Gum Euphor- 

 bium is a gum-resin obtained from Euphorbia resinifera, a native 

 of the lower slopes of the Adas Mountains, by wounding the 

 stems, and collecting the sap which exudes. Pliny relates that 

 the plant was discovered by Juba, King of Mauretania, and named 

 by him after his physician, Euphorbus. It is an acrid poison, so 

 violent in its effects as to produce severe inflammation of the 

 nostrils if those who are employed in powdering it do not guard 

 themselves from its dust. It was formerly employed for raising 

 blisters, but is now only used in veterinary medicine, or for 

 mixing with rubber. The Australian Asthma Herb (E. pilulifera) 

 is now imported in considerable quantities. The Manchineel tree 

 (Hippomdne Mancinella) of South America has an intensely acrid 

 white juice, the least drop of which, or even the smoke from the 

 wood when burnt, causes temporary blindness ; but other alleged 

 actions have been much exaggerated. Its fruit, which is beautiful 

 and looks like an apple, contains a similar juice, which so burns 

 the lips of those who bite it as to guard the careless from any 

 danger of eating it. Manioc (Manihot utilissima) is a shrub 

 about 6 feet high, indigenous to the West Indies and South 



