692 EUPHORBIACEAE 



b. Branches spreading or recurved : sepals 5. 



Staminate flowers with orbicular outer sepals : pedicels of the staminate 



flowers not thickened above. 3. P. Niruri. 



Staminate flowers with ovate outer sepals : pedicels of the staminate flow- 

 ers much thickened above. 4. P. abnormis. 

 B. Perennial species : stems clustered on the rootstock. 

 Leaf-blades of an oblong type. 



Leaves mostly thrice as long as broad : Floridian species. 5. P. Garberi. 



Leaves mostly twice as long as broad : Texan species. 6. P. Drummondii. 



Leaf-blades of an obovate or cuneate type. 



Stems naked, with internodes longer than the leaves. 7. P. radicans. 



Stems leafy with internodes shorter than the leaves. 8. P. polygonoides. 



1. Phyllanthus Avicularia Small. Annual, or perhaps also perennial, bright green. 

 Stems simple or sparingly branched near the base and above, 3-6 dm. long, pubescent, 

 striate in age : leaves ascending ; blades oblong, or slightly broadest above the middle, 8- 

 18 mm. long, blunt or barely pointed, slightly paler beneath than above, rounded or trun- 

 cate at the base ; petioles 1 mm. long or shorter : calyx short-pedicelled ; staminate 

 delicate, barely 2 mm. broad, the sepals orbicular-obovate or suborbicular ; pistillate firmer, 

 fully 2 mm. broad or barely 3 mm. at maturity, the sepals oblong or oval, scarious-mar- 

 gined, persistent : capsules spheroidal, 3 mm. broad. 



In dry soil, Texas and northern Mexico. Summer and fall. 



2. Phyllanthus Carolin&isis Walt. Annual, dark green, glabrous. Stem slender, 

 erect or ascending, 1-5 dm. high, simple or branched, the branches 2-ranked : leaves rather 

 numerous ; blades obovate or nearly oblong, 6-20 mm. long, obtuse, narrowed to a very 

 short petiole, or nearly sessile : flowers inconspicuous, nearly sessile in the axils : sepals 

 linear-cuneate or oblong-cuneate : capsules about 2 mm. broad : seeds 1-1.5 mm. long, 

 marked with lines and minute papillae. 



In sandy or gravelly soil and moist woods, Pennsylvania to Illinois, Florida, Texas and Central 

 America. Spring to fall. 



3. Phyllanthus Niruri L. Annual, glabrous. Stems erect or ascending, 1-3 dm. 

 tall, the branches 3-10 cm. long, spreading or recurving : leaves alternate ; blades thin, 

 oblong or slightly broadest above the middle, 3-10 mm. long, obtuse, short-petioled, ap- 

 proximate on the branchlets : pedicels about 1 mm. long : sepals orbicular or oval, barely 

 1 mm. long, the outer ones orbicular, all abruptly pointed : capsules 3-lobed, about 2 mm. 

 broad, smooth : seeds about 1 mm. long. 



In sand, peninsular Florida and the Keys. Also in tropical America. Spring to winter. 



4. Phyllanthus abnormis Baill. Annual, bright green. Stem erect or ascending, 

 2-4 dm. tall, more or less branched near the top, the short branches spreading or ascend- 

 ing : leaves alternate ; blades thick, oblong or nearly so, 3-7 mm. long, obtuse, nearly 

 sessile : sepals ovate, the outer somewhat broader than the inner, fully 1 mm. long : cap- 

 sules manifestly depressed, 2-2.5 mm. broad, smooth : seeds fully 1 mm. long. 



In sand or coral rock, Florida Keys. Spring to winter. | 



5. Phyllanthus Garberi Small. Perennial, glabrous, glaucescent. Stems branched 

 at the base, the branches ascending or decumbent, 1-3 dm. long, more or less again 

 branched : leaves alternate ; blades thickish, oblong or nearly so, 6-8 mm. long, obtuse or 

 retuse at the apex, flat, abruptly narrowed or truncate at the base : pedicels about 1 mm. 

 long, enlarged upward : sepals oblong, ovate or oval, 0.5-0.8 mm. long, those of the stami- 

 nate flowers much more delicate than those of the pistillate : capsules spheroidal, 2.5-3 

 mm. broad, smooth : seeds nearly 1.5 mm. long, smooth. 



In sand, peninsular Florida. Spring. 



6. Phyllanthus Drummondii Small. Perennial, deep green. Stems branched at 

 the base, the branches erect or ascending, 0.5-2.5 dm. long, sparingly branched, rather 

 wiry : leaves numerous ; blades oblong or nearly so, 3-6 mm. long, about twice as long as 

 wide, obtuse, nearly sessile : pedicels about 0.5 mm. long : sepals suborbicular or oval- 

 orbicular, barely 1 mm. long, those of the staminate flowers somewhat smaller and more 

 delicate than those of the pistillate flowers : capsules spheroidal, about 2 mm. broad : seeds 

 fully 1 mm. long. 



On sandy banks, middle and southern Texas. Spring to fall. 



7. Phyllanthus radicans (Muell. Arg. ) Small. Perennial, glabrous. Stems 

 numerous, tufted, 0.5-3 dm. long, wire-like, ascending or decumbent, rather rigid : leaves 

 alternate ; blades thin, oblong, cuneate or oval, 3-8 mm. long, slightly revolute, pale 

 beneath, usually approximate on the branchlets : sepals oblong-oval or ovate, barely 1 mm. 

 long, obtuse : capsules spheroidal, 1-1.3 mm. broad : seeds nearly 1 mm. long. [P. Niruri 

 var. radicans Muell. Arg. ] 



In sand, peninsular Florida and the Keys, and in Cuba. Spring to winter. 



