284 POISONOUS PROPERTIES OF EUPHORBIA CARACASANA. 
lum Wilsoni and H. Tunbridgense, as depicted by me in the * Journal of 
Botany,’ October, 1863. But, besides their greater size, the pollen- 
grains of Ranunculus arvensis differ in their remarkable roughness 
from those of its close allies, And whoever will compare the small, 
smooth, oval or coffee-shaped pollen-grains of Ranunculus Ficaria 
and Caltha palustris, with the round ones of the above-mentioned sub- 
section of Ranunculee, may see differences quite as curious. 
Finally, as these observations were almost all made on plants in this 
neighbourhood, I hope that other botanists may be induced to extend 
the inquiry to species of different districts and countries. 
Edenbridge, Kent, Aug. 9, 1866. 
SOME S MS ON THE POISONOUS PROPERTIES OF 
EUPHORBIA CARACASANA, Boiss. 
By A. Ernst, Esq., or Caracas. 
Euphorbia Caracasana, Boiss. (De Cand. Prod. xvi. p. 60. n. 215), 
is one of the typical plants of the valley of Caracas. Its vernacular 
name is Lechero, i.e. milk-yielding, on account of the abundant milky 
juice it contains. The description given in the * Prodromus’ is exact 
in nearly all points, except that the leaves are sometimes much larger 
than stated by Boissier, and the plant does not always remain shrubby. 
On the 24th of June, my friend Mr. Nichols and myself found in 
the valley of the Catuche (the river which supplies Caracas with water) 
several specimens which had attained the form of sturdy trees, the 
stem of one being no less than ten inches thick, and so high that I 
was unable to distinguish the different leaves. I should not have 
taken it for the EZ. Caracasana, but for some smaller specimens in the 
neighbourhood, the leaves of which (no flowers being found) left no 
doubt whatever about the species. 
On the bark being cut, the milk ran down in such abundance that 
in a short time six ounces of it were collected. It is of cream-colour, 
has a rather balsamie odour, and an insipid taste. I put only two 
drops on my tongue. About a quarter of an hour afterwards I felt an 
intense burning in the throat, which, even by frequent garglings with 
