212 



EUPHOEBIACEAE. 



1. Manihot Manihot (L.) Cockerell. 

 Cassava. (Fig. 233.) Steins S^-S" taU, 

 more or less branclied. Leaves 3-7- 

 parted, tlie segments linear to elliptic, 

 or slightly broadest above tlie middle, 

 acute or acuminate, entire; petioles 

 about as long as the blades or longer; 

 panicles spreading; bracts shorter than 

 the pedicels; calyx campanulate, 3"-4" 

 high, its lobes ovate, obtuse, about as 

 long as the tube; calyx of the pistillate 

 flowers with a shorter tube than that 

 of the staminate; fruit subglobose, about 

 10" in diameter. [Jatropha Manihot L. ; 

 M. utilissima Pohl.] 



Spontaneous after cultivation. Native of South America. Widely cultivated 

 and more or less spontaneous in Florida and the West Indies. Its large tubers con- 

 tain much starch, the tapioca of commerce, an important food-product prepared by 

 grinding, washing and baking. The plant is propagated by cuttings and is much 

 planted for food. 



8. CHAMAESYCE S. F. Gray. 



Annual or perennial herbs or shrubs. Stems often branched at the base, 

 the branches ascending or prostrate, forking. Leaves opposite, more or less 

 oblique at the base; stipules entire or fringed. Involucres solitary in the 

 axils or in axillary cymes; glands 4, naked or usually with an appendage, 

 one sinus of each involucre glandless. Capsule sometimes pubescent, the 

 angles sharp or rounded. Seeds angled, white, grey, red or black, the faces 

 smooth or transversely wrinkled. [Greek, ground-fig.] About 2'25 species, widely 

 distributed. Locally known as Tittimelly. Most of the species are low and 

 inconspicuous plants and several form weeds of cultivation. Type species: 

 Chamaesyce maritima S. F. Gray. 



lieaves entire, fleshy. 1. C. tuxifolia. 



Leaves dentate, not fleshy. 

 Capsules glabrous. 



Leaves 5" long or less, sparingly low-crenate. 2. C. Blodgettii. 



Leaves larger, up to IV long, dentate or denticulate. 



Leaves red-blotched. 3. G. Preslii. 



Leaves not red-blotched. 



Leaves ovate-oblong. 4. C. Tiypericifolia. 



Leaves linear-oblong to oblong-lanceolate. 5. C. hyssopifolia. 



Capsules pubescent. 



Involucres axillary, mostly solitary. 



Capsules pubescent on the angles. 6. C. prostrata. 



Capsules pubescent all over. 7. C. maculata. 



Involucres in peduncled cymes. 8. C. Mrta. 



