312 EUPHORBIACEJE. 





 4. ACALYPHA. Linn, Three-seeded Mercury. 



<A Greek name for the nettle, which this plant somewhat resembles.) 



Monoecious. STERILE FL. Perianth 3 4-parted. Stamens 

 8 16, very short, united at base. FERTILE FL. Styles 3, 2- 

 parted. Capsule 3 -celled ; cells 1-seeded. 



1. A. Virginica Linn.: pubescent; leaves ovate or oblong-lanceolate, 

 obtusely serrate, petiolate ; bracts somewhat stipitate, roundish-cordate, in- 

 cisely lobed ; fertile flowers at the base of the sterile spike. 



Road sides, &c. Can. to Car. June Aug. . Stem 1218 inches high, 

 erect, pubescent. Sterile flowers very small. Capsule hispid. 



Common Three-seeded Mercury. 



2. A. Caroliniana Wall. : leaves on long petioles, rhombic-ovate, acu- 

 minate, serrate, entire at base ; bracts cordate, lobed ; fertile flowers at the 

 base of the sterile spike. 



Fields. Penn. to Flor. July, Aug. () Stem 9 18 inches high. 



Carolinian Three-seeded Mercury. 



5. EUPHORBIA. Linn. Spurge. 

 (Named after Euphorbus, an ancient Greek physician.) 

 Monoecious. Rarely furnished with a perianth. Involucre 

 naonophyllous, campanulate, 4 5 -lobed ; lobes usually alterna- 

 ting with peltate glands. STERILE FL. numerous, each consist- 

 ing of an anther with its filament articulated in the middle. 

 FERTILE FL. solitary, central, on a long peduncle. Styles 3, 

 usually 2-cleft. Capsule 3-celled, 3-seeded. 



* Flowers solitary or somewhat corymbose. 



1. E. dentata Mich.: hairy; leaves opposite, oval, dentate; flowers 

 crowded at the summit of the stem. x 



Shady rocks. Penn. to Term. July, Aug. (T). The upper leaves spotted. 



Toothed Spurge. 



2. E. hypericifolia Linn. : stem erect, spreading, smoothish or hairy, 

 with dichotomous branches ; leaves on short petioles, oval-oblong, slightly 

 falcate, serrate ; peduncles solitary in the axils and corymbose at the ex- 

 tremity of the branches ; glands of the involucre with small petaloid ap- 

 pendages. 



Fields and road sides. Can. to Flor. W. to Miss. Aug., Sept. .Slem 

 8 18 inches high, sometimes almost prostrate. Leaves often with purple blotches 

 above. Flowers small, white or purplish. Hyjjericum-leaved Spurge. 



3. E. maculata Linn.: stem prostrate, much branched, hairy; leaves 

 opposite, ovate-oblong, serrate, unequal at base ; flowers axillary, solitary 

 or somewhat clustered; glands 4, seated on small petaloid appendages, 

 transversely elliptic. 



