E U P 



E U P 



the spring or autumn, in the places were they 

 are to remain, a moist situation being chii>tn lor 

 the puqKjse. Some prefer sowing them in bids, 

 and afterwards transplanting ihtui, but the for- 

 mer is probably the better practice. 



In the latter method, the ofl-scts or heads 

 should be carefully taken otT and planted nut 

 early in the autunm. The last sort, being the 

 most tender, should be covered with tan in the 

 wmtcr, and the same practice is useful in 

 many of the others, especially the young seedling 

 plants. 



The plants should afterwards be kept clean, 

 and have the stalks removed, and the earth care- 

 fully dug about them in the spring. 



These plants are yery ornamental in the large 

 clumps and borders of pleasure grounds, among 

 other flowering kinds. 



EUPHORBIA, a genus containing plants of 

 the herbaceous and shrubby succulent kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Dodccandria 

 Trigynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Tricvcca-. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a one- 

 leafed perianthium, inflated, somewhat coloured, 

 four-toothed at the mouth, (in some few five- 

 toothed,) pennanent : the corolla has four petals, 

 (in some few five,) turbinate, gibbous, thick, 

 truncate, unequal in situation, alternate w ith the 

 teeth of the calyx, w ith their claws placed on 

 the margin of the calyx, permanent : the sta- 

 mina consist of several filaments, (twelve or 

 more) filiform, jointed, inserted into the recep- 

 tacle, longer than the corolla, breaking forth at 

 different times: anthers twin, roundish: the 

 pistiUum is a roundish germ, three-sided, pedi- 

 celled : styles three, two-cleft: stigmas obtuse: 

 the pericarpium is a roundish capsule, tricoccous, 

 three-celled, starling open elastically: the seeds 

 solitary, and roundish. 



The species chiefly cultivated are : 1 . -E. anti- 

 quorum, Triangular Spurge; G. £. Canariensis, 

 Canary Spurge ; 3. E. ojfidnariim. Officinal 

 Spurge; 4. E. caput- Mediiso', Medusa's-head 

 Spurge; 5. E. tilhi/matoidcs. Myrtle-leaved 

 Spurge ; G. E. hepta^oiia. Seven-angled Spurge; 

 7. E. mammellaris, Warty-angled Spurge; 

 6. E. lally^ w. Caper Spurge. 



Other Species may be cultivated. 



The first has a triangular, compressed, suc- 

 ri'.lent stem, rising to the height of eight or ten 

 feet; and sending out many irregular spreading 

 twisting branches, for the most part three-cor- 

 nered, l)ut having some two, and others four 

 angles ; at their extremities are a few short 

 roundish leaves, which soon fall off; and near 

 these come out occasionally a few flowers, which 

 have five thick whitish petals, with a large threc- 



coniered germ in the centre; ihi; floAirs soon 

 droppuig off without jiro.lutmg Sevils. It grows 

 naturally in the Kast liuliis. 



It has generall".- been taken for the tnic Eu- 

 pliorbium ; but Nlartyn observes, that it is from 

 the second sort that the drug now imporled under 

 that name is taken. 



There is a variety with a naked ihree-cornered 

 compressed stalk, sendmgout a great number of 

 erect branches, which are also generally three-cor- 

 nered, but sometimes four-cornered ; armed ^vuh 

 short crooked spines, h.tvini; ii ) Laves. The 

 plants have not produced tiov\ers here. It is 

 also a native of India. 



The second species, in its native countn.-, 

 grows to the height of twenty feel or more, but 

 in this climate it is rarely seen more than six or 

 seven: the stem is very thick, green and succu- 

 lent, having four or live large angles, clojcly 

 armed with black crooked spines, which come 

 out by pairs at every indenuirc : it sends out from 

 every side large succulent branches of the same 

 form, which extend to the distance of two or 

 three feet, then turning their ends upwards, so 

 that the plants when well grown have some re- 

 semblance to a chandelier ; they have no leaves, 

 but are closely armed with black spines like the 

 stem : at the ends of the branches come out the 

 flowers, which are shaped like those of the first 

 species. It is a native of the Canary Islands, 

 flowering in March and the following month. 



The third puts out manv stalks just above the 

 surface, which arethick,'suceu!ent and roundish, 

 having eight or ten angles whilst they are young, 

 but as they grow old thev lose their andes and 

 become round ; the branches grow distorted and 

 irregular, first horizontal, but afterwards turning 

 upwards; theanglesarearmedwith small crooked 

 spines; and on the upper part of the branches, in 

 June and .Tulv, come out the flowers ; thev are 

 small, and of a greenish white colour, li is a 

 native of Africa. 



The fourth species has thick, roundish, suc- 

 culent stalks, which are scalv ; they send out 

 manv branches from their sides of the same form, 

 which are twisted, and run one over another, so 

 as to appear like a parcel of serpents, whence it 

 has the appellation of Medusa's head : at the end 

 of these are narrow, thick, succulent leaves, 

 which drop off; and round the upper part of ihein 

 the flowers come out ; tliese are while, and of the 

 same form with those of the other sorts, but 

 lareer ; and frequently succeeded by fruit. 



There is a variety termed Uttlc .Medwio's Head, 

 which has a thick short stalk, seldom more than 

 eight or ten inches hic:h, from which come out 

 a great mimber of slender trailing bra:'.ches, 

 about a fool in length, intermixing and having 



