MONOECIA. MONADELPHIA. 227 



ments articulated. Receptacle squamose. Fe- 

 7n ale Jlower soVitsiry 9 stipitate, naked. Styles 3, 

 bifid. Capsule S-grained. 



Lactescent plants which are either herbaceous or shrub* 

 by, leafless or foliaceous; stems in the leafless species 

 (which are principally indigenous to uie deserts of Africa) 

 caniose, naked or spin;,, resem.bhng the genus Cactus; — 

 in the other species which are mosily herbaceous, the 

 leaves are alternate and naked, or more rarely opposite, 

 and then usually stipulate, very rarely ternately verticil- 

 lated; in these the flowers are scattered or aggregated, 

 and in very many umbellate and involucrate. Stamina 

 perfecting at different limes. 



Species. 1. E. cyathophora, 2. dentata. 3. grainijiifo- 

 ha. A. hy peri ci folia. 5. maculata. 6. thymifcUa. T.poiygoni' 

 JoHa. 8. Ipecacnanhce. Leaves sometimes linear. Stamina 

 collected into 5 bodies, containing about 6 in each, inter- 

 mixed with the plumose setae of the receptacle. 9. puhen- 

 tissima. 10. Peplus. \\. mercwialina 12. marginctta,\.tQ.\Q.% 

 of tiie involucrum always variegated with wuite. v. v. On 

 the batiks of the Missouri near the Arikaree station. 13 

 JLathyris. 14. eoro//afa. Dioicous! lo.portulaccides, 16.pilosa. 

 This vait genus of near 160 species is very widely dis- 

 persed through both hemispheres, but more particularly 

 abundant in the warmer parts of America, in India, the 

 deserts of northern and southern Africa, and throughout 

 Europe but more frequer.tin the warmer parts. Tiic eco- 

 nomy of tiie genus Euphorbia appears to be very limited; 

 in the deserts of Africa they only tend as it were to aug- 

 ment the surrour.di:ig scenes of desolation; leafless, bit- 

 ter, thoiTiy and poisonous, they seem to deny food to every 

 animated being; amongst the European and American 

 species there are some which have been usedmedicim.Uy, 

 but they are at best dangerous and needless remedies. 



774. FHYLLANTHUS. L. 



Masc. Calix 5 or 6 -parted. Filaments often 

 columnar. Anthers 3. Fem. as the male nec- 

 tary a 12-angled margin. Styles 3. Capsule 

 mostly 3-grained. 



Shrubby or aborescent, rarely herbaceous; leaves slm- 

 pie and distlcbal, with axillary flowers or apparenily pin- 

 nate, the leaflets then floriferous. 



Species. 1. P. tbovatus. 0»s. Capsule round, 3-oelkd» 



