EUPHORBIACEjE. 



Very like C. Tiglium, but leaves ovate, obtuse at the base, quite 

 destitute of stellate hairs, hardly ever 3-nerved, the principal basal veins 

 being alternate with each other. Flowers larger ; males decandrous. 

 Capsule dotted, hispid, with the seeds much smaller than the cells that 

 contain them. This is supposed to have been the original Tilly-seed 

 plant; but it is doubtful whether the figure quoted from Rumphius belongs 

 to it. There is no question about its being a distinct species ; and in all 

 probability others equally allied to it will yield an oil of similar quality. 



365. C. Draco Schlecht in Linn. vi. 360. Woods near 

 Papantla in Mexico. 



A tree with the leaves, flowers, and young shoots covered all over 

 with a coarse hoary starry fur. Leaves cordate, acuminate, minutely 

 toothed or entire, longer than their footstalks, as they grow older 

 losing their hoariness a little ; the larger about 5x3 inches ; petioles 

 with 4 wart-like glands at the apex, so hidden by the fur that they 

 cannot be seen till it is scraped away. Racemes 1-2 feet long, with the 

 hoary flowers clustered at regular intervals all along it. Male flowers 

 with 20-24 stamens. According to Schiede this abounds in a sanguine 

 juice, which hardens into the finest kind of Dragon's blood (Sangrc del 

 drago of the Mexicans), used in Mexico as a vulnerary and astringent. 



366. C. sanguifluus HBK. ii. 89. of New Andalusia; and 



367. C. hibiscifolius HBK. ib. of New Granada ; have similar 

 properties, and are equally called Sangre del Drago. 



368. C. polyandrum Roxb. fl. ind. iii. 682. Jatropha mon- 

 tana Willd. sp. pi. iv. 563. Borders of rills and moist places in 

 the Circar mountains. 



Stems several from the same root, shrubby, straight. Branches few ; 

 young shoots a little downy and round, 3-6 feet high. Leaves alter- 

 nate, stalked, oval, sometimes lobed, deeply toothed, or coarsely and 

 remotely serrate, a little hairy, 3-nerved, with 2 projecting brown 

 glands at the base ; from 2 to 6 inches long. Petioles round, about 1 

 inch long. Stipules 0, but 2 glands in their place. Male flowers race- 

 mose, small, dull yellow. Racemes axillary, erect, interrupted. Calyx 

 5-leaved. Corolla 0. Disk a membranaceous, yellow ring, surrounding 

 the base of the filaments. Filaments shorter than the calyx, numerous, 

 distinct, compressed, clavate, with the points bifid, and bearing each 2 

 oval anthers. Female flowers stalked, axillary. ^ Calyx cylindrical, 

 5-toothed. Corolla 0. Disk as in the male. Seeds exactly like those 

 of Ricinus communis, but much smaller. Seeds reckoned by the 

 Hindoos a good purgative ; one seed bruised in water administered for 

 each evacuation. Roxb. 



N.B. The true genus of this plant doubtful. 



369. C. lacciferum Linn. sp. pi. 1426. N. and E. handb. 

 i. 378. C. aromaticum Spreng. iii. 869. Aleurites laccifera 



Willd. iv. 591 . (Burm. Zeyl t. 9 J .) Ceylon. 



Branches densely furred. Leaves stalked, oblong, downy, serrulate, 

 acute at each end, or obtuse at the base, with a pair of kidney-shaped 

 glands at the base. Racemes long, terminal, loose, leafless except 

 quite at the base. Flowers single, downy. Fruit tomentose, round- 

 ish, the size of a large pea. Bark of the root aromatic and purgative. 

 The branches yield very fine lac in grains, in small quantities. 



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