702 EUPHOKBIACEAE 



1. Tragia linearifolia Ell. Plants closely and minutely pubescent. Stems solitary 

 or several from the base, erect or spreading, 1-4 dm. long, sparingly or diffusely branched, 

 strict or slightly zigzag : leaf-blades linear, 3-10 cm. long, entire or undulate, sometimes 

 curved, sessile or nearly so : racemes slender, often surpassing the leaves, branched in vig- 

 orous specimens : bracts 1-1.5 mm. long : calyx sometimes minutely pubescent, that of the 

 staminate flowers with 4-5 unequal sepals and 2 stamens : capsules 7-8 mm. broad, strigil- 

 lose, one cavity often suppressed : seeds subglobose, 3-3.5 mm. in diameter, granular. 



In sand, Georgia and Florida. 



2. Tragia urens L. Plants softly pubescent with minute hairs. Stems solitary or 

 several from the same base, erect or spreading, 1-4 dm. long, nearly simple or diffusely 

 branched, rather rigid : leaf-blades oblong to cuneate, 2-5 cm. long, undulate or commonly 

 toothed, often very variable on the same plant, sessile or nearly so : racemes slender, much 

 surpassing the leaves, the rachis filiform : bracts about 1 mm. long : pedicels 1-3 mm. long : 

 calyx puberulent, that of the staminate flowers with 4 sepals and 2 stamens : capsules less 

 than 8-10 mm. broad, much depressed, strigillose : seeds subglobose, 3.5-4 mm. in diameter, 

 smooth. [ T. innocua Walt.] 



In dry sandy soil, Virginia to Florida and Texas. 



3. Tragia nigricans Bush. Plants sparingly hispid, purple-green. Stems usually 

 branched at the base, the branches erect or ascending, 2-4 dm. tall, commonly simple, essen- 

 tially glabrous : leaf-blades oblong, sometimes narrowly so, 3-7 cm. long, acute, thinnish, 

 coarsely serrate with rather flaring teeth, with scattered hairs, narrowly or broadly cuneate 

 at the base, short-petioled : racemes few-flowered, much shorter than the leaves : bracts 

 lanceolate, 1.5-2.5 mm. long: pedicels shorter than the bracts : staminate flowers with a 

 calyx of 4 puberulent sepals and 4 stamens : pistillate flowers with a calyx of 6 hispid 

 sepals : capsule depressed, about 10 mm. broad. 



In woods, west-central Texas. 



4. Tragia urticaef olia Michx. Plants with stinging hairs. Stems erect or spreading, 

 1-4 dm. long, often branched, hispid : leaf-blades triangular, ovate to lanceolate, 3-7 cm. 

 long, coarsely and doubly serrate, truncate or cordate at the base, stout-petioled : racemes 

 0.5-2.5 cm. long : staminate flowers with a calyx of 3 sepals, and 3 stamens : pistillate 

 flowers with a calyx of 4 or 5 sepals : capsule much depressed, 7-10 mm. broad, hispid : 

 seeds globular, 3.5-4 mm. in diameter, dark brown. 



In dry or sandy soil, South Carolina to Arkansas, Florida and Texas. 



5. Tragia iiepetaefolia Cav. Plants with stinging hairs. Stems slender, erect, or re- 

 clining, 1-4 dm. long, rather appressed pubescent : leaf-blades triangular-ovate or lance- 

 olate, 1-5 dm. long, dentate-serrate, cordate, slender-petioled, the lower sometimes orbic- 

 ular : racemes 1-3.5 cm. long, many-flowered : staminate flowers mostly with a calyx of 3 

 sepals and 3 stamens : pistillate flowers with a calyx of 5 sepals : capsule much depressed, 

 5-6 mm. in diameter, hirsute : seeds globose, chestnut brown, smooth, 4 mm. in diameter. 



In sandy soil, Kansas to Mexico and New Mexico. 



6. Tragia ramosa Torr. Plants light green, bristly with stinging hairs. Stems 5-30 

 cm. long, slender, usually much branched, sometimes spreading : leaf-blades lanceolate, 

 ovate-lanceolate or triangular-lanceolate, 1.2-5 cm. long, acute at the apex, coarsely and 

 sharply serrate, truncate or cordate at the base, short-petioled : staminate flowers with a 

 calyx of 4-5 sepals, and 4-6 stamens ; pistillate flowers solitary with a calyx of 5 sepals 

 subtended by a 3-lobed bract : capsules much depressed, 6-8 mm. in diameter, orange, more 

 or less variegated. 



In dry soil. Missouri to Texas, Colorado and Arizona. 



7. Tragia saxicola Small. Plants somewhat bristly with stinging hairs. Stem 

 branched at the base ; the branches ascending or spreading, slender or wiry, 0.5-2 dm. long : 

 leaf -blades suborbicular to broadly ovate, 1-2.5 cm. long, rounded at the apex, crenate- 

 dentate, subcordate or cordate at the base, slender-petioled : staminate flowers short -pedi- 

 celled, with 3 ovate sepals about 1 mm. long, and 3 stamens : pistillate flowers usually sol- 

 itary, with 4 lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate sepals becoming 2.5-3 mm. long : capsules 

 much depressed, 7-8 mm. broad, hairy. 



In rocky pine woods, southern peninsular Florida and the Keys. 



8. Tragia betonicaefolia Nutt. Plants softly pubescent and somewhat villous. Stems 

 usually branched at the base, the branches erect or ascending, 1-3 dm. tall, simple or 

 sparingly branched, often slightly zigzag : leaf-blades orbicular to broadly oblong, 2-4 cm. 

 long, serrate, crenate-serrate or somewhat lobed, mostly rounded or cordate at the base, 

 short-petioled or nearly sessile : racemes usually less than 1 cm. long ; bracts surpassing the 

 pedicels : staminate calyx with 4 sepals : stamens 2 : pistillate calyx with 4-5 sepals : ovary 

 densely pubescent : capsules 3-lobed, less than 1 cm. broad. 



In sandy soil, Florida to Louisiana. 



