EUPHORBIACEAE. 



207 



Phyllanthus Emblica L., Emblic Myrobolax, of eastern Asia, a hand- 

 some specimen of which was seen in the Public Garden, St. George's, in 1913, 

 is a small tree, with slender branches, bearing numerous 2-ranked, linear, 

 light-green leaves 7"-9" long, 1*" wide; the minute, greenish flowers are borne 

 sessile in the axils and followed by globose, somewhat fleshy fruits 5"-8" in 

 diameter. The 2-ranked leaves give the foliage the aspect of being pinnately 

 compound. In India the bark and leaves are used in tanning and ab-o furnish 

 a brown-black dye; the fruit is used as a purgative medicine and in cooling 

 drinks. 



2. CTROTON L. 



Herbs or shrubs, strong-scented, stellate-pubescent. Leaves mostly alter- 

 nate, sometimes with 2 glands at the base of the blade. Flowers often spicate 

 or racemose. Staminate flowers uppermost; calyx 4-6-parted (usually o- 

 parted) ; petals usually present, but small or rudimentary, alternating with 

 glands; stamens 5 or more. Pistillate flowers below the staminate; calyx 5-10- 

 parted; petals usually wanting; ovary mostly 3-celled; ovule 1 in each cavity; 

 styles once, twice or many times 2-cleft. [The Greek name of the Castor-oil 

 plant.] About 700 species, mostly of warm and tropical regions, a few in the 

 temperate zones. Type species: Croton Tiglium L. 



Perennial, shrubby; petals none. 1. C. punctatus. 



Annual, herbaceous ; petals present in the staminate flowers. 2. C. monanthogynus. 



1. Croton punctatus Jacq. 

 Beach Croton. (Fig. 227.) Per- 

 ennial, li°-3° tall, the branches 

 gray or rusty tomentose. Leaves 

 elliptic, oblong or ovate, V-2' 

 long, entire or merely undulate, 

 truncate or cordate at the base, 

 pale or whitish, puberulent above, 

 densely scaly-tomentose beneath ; 

 racemes few-flowered; flowers 

 monoecious or dioecious ; stami- 

 nate in racemes i'-l' long, short- 

 pedicelled; sepals 5-6, triangular, 

 nearly equal; petals wanting or 

 rudimentary ; stamens normally 12 ; 

 filaments pubescent ; pistillate 

 flowers 1-3 in a raceme; sepals 5, 

 equal, oblong or cuneate; petals 

 wanting; ovary 3-celled; capsules 

 subglobose, depressed, 2^"-4" long; 

 seeds about 3" long. 



Sand dunes and sea beaches, 

 frequent. Native. Coast of the 



southeastern United States, Cuba and Central America. Presumably transported to 

 Bermuda through the ocean. It is locally abundant along the south shores. Flow- 

 ers from spring to autumn. [C. maritimus Walt.] 



