94 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



l*etuls pale pink. Fihnnents very long. Drupe bcrr^^ikc, about the 

 size of a pea, jet blaek Avlien ripe ; pyrenes commonly 9, shaped like 

 one of the segments of an orange, j^ale, opaque, roughened. 



Crowherry. 

 German, Scliwarze Krdhenbeere. 



This plant is known by the names of Black-berried Heath, Crakeberry, or Black Crow- 

 berry. The Highlanders frequently eat the berries, as sometimes do children, but they 

 are not a desirable ft-uit, and, if taken in large quantities, occasion headache. Grouse 

 feed upon them. Boiled with alum, they afford a purple dye. 



ORDER LXVIIL— E UPHORBIACE^. 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees with the juice often milky, the habit very 

 various, sometimes (in exotic species) leafless and cactuslike, more 

 commonly leafy with alternate or rarely with opposite leaves. Stipules 

 ])resent and then generally deciduous or more often absent. Flowers 

 always unisexual, dioecious or monoecious, very variously disposed. 

 Perianth single, double or absent. Stamens 1 to indefinite in the 

 male flowers. Female flowers with the ovary free from the perianth, 

 3- more rarely 2- or many-celled; ovules 1 or 2 in each cell, anatro- 

 pous, pendulous from the internal apical angle of the cells ; styles as 

 many as the cai'jDels, distinct, united; stigmas distinct or united. 

 Fruit commonly consisting of 3 (more rarely 2 or many) cocca, which 

 usually break away from the columella and split into 2 valves, or very 

 rarely the capsule is loculicidally dehiscent into 3 valves. Seeds 1 or 

 more rarely 2 in each coccum or cell of the fruit, with a crustaceous 

 testa, generally carunculate or arillate ; albumen fleshy ; embryo large, 

 with the cotyledons sometimes foliaceous ; radicle superior. 



GENUS L—B U X U S. Toiimef. 



Flowers monoecious, distinct, not combined into a compound flower. 

 Perianth with bracteoles at the base, of 4 unequal sepals arranged in 

 the form of a cross. Male flowers with 4 free stamens. Female 

 flowers with 3 separate styles. Capsule 3 pointed, separating above 

 into 3 beaked valves, which are 2-horned at tlie apex from the split- 

 ting of the persistent styles; the 3 valves enclosing 3 cocca, each of 

 which contains 2 seeds. Seeds smooth, shining. 



Shrubs or small trees with opposite entire coriaceous leaves. 



