EUPHORBIACEiE. 115 



Rhizome slender, white, creeping horizontally. Stems usually solitary 

 from the apex of the rhizome, appearing above ground in early spring, 

 erect, 9 inches to 2 feet high ; the lower internodes distant and with 

 very minute leaves, the upper internodes short; all with a raised line on 

 each side running from between the stipules to the leaf below. Leaves 

 largest above the middle of the stem, when full-grown 2^ to 4 inches 

 long, including the petiole, which is less than the Avidtli of the lamina; 

 this is rather thin, varying from ovate to lanceolate or eUi[)tical; 

 uppermost leaves narrower than the lower ones ; all of them rounded 

 at the base, acuminated or acute, crenate-serrate. Stipules very minute, 

 lanceolate or subulate. Flowers dioecious, produced before the leaves 

 are full-grown. Male plant with leafless axillary peduncles from 

 the axils of the middle and upper leaves ; glomerules occupying the 

 upper half of the peduncle; flowers shortly stalked: perianth of 3 

 ovate-acuminate concave segments; stamens 9 to 12. Peduncles of 

 the racemes of the female plant shorter than in the male, often with 

 only a single terminal flower, but sometimes with 2 or 3 rather 

 remote ones: each flower distinctly stalked; perianth similar to 

 that of the male flowers, with 2 subulate abortive stamens, and a 

 2-lobed bristly ovary, terminated by 2 large recurved styles, stigma- 

 tiferous on the upper side. Caj^sule nearly ^ inch long by f broad, of 

 2 cocca, which split with elasticity. Seeds greyish, pointed or crested 

 at the apex, slightly shining, with blunt elevated ridges when young, 

 invested by a very thin membrane, which adheres closely to the ripe 

 seed. Stem often purplish at the base, thinly hispid; leaves deep green, 

 darker coloured and usually narrower in the female plant than in the 

 male, turning blue when carelessly dried. 



Perennial Dog^s Mercury. 



French, Mercuriale vivace. German, Ausdauerndes BingelJcraui. 



This plant was formerly used in medicine, but has long been abandoned as a remedy. 

 We find it spoken of in the old herbals as possessing wonderful powers. Culpepper 

 writes : " Mercury, they say, owns this herb, but I rather think 'tis Venus, and am 

 pretty confident of it too ; for I never read that Mercury ever minded women's busi- 

 ness so much. I beheve he minds his study more." Gerard tells us that " Costacus, 

 in his booke of the ' Nature of Plants,' saith that the juice of mercury, hollyhock, and 

 purslane mixed together, and the hands bathed therein, defendeth them from burning, 

 if they be thrast into boyling lead." When steeped in water the leaves of the plant 

 give out a fine blue colour resembling indigo. This colouring-matter is turned red by 

 acids, and destroyed by alkalies, but is otherwise permanent. It might possibly prove 

 valuable as a dye, if any means of fixing the colour could be devised. 



SPECIES II.— M ERCURIALIS ANNUA. Llim. 

 Plates MCCLXIX. MCCLXX. 



Annual. Stem with opposite branches. Leaves shortly stalked, 

 ovate or lanceolate or oval-ovate, the lowest ones not much smaller 

 than those on the middle of the stem. Male flowers in small glomerules, 



