GENUS i. 



SPURGE FAMILY. 



453 



Glands of the involucres without petal-like appendages, entirely naked, sometimes with crescent- 

 like horns. 



Stem topped by an umbel ; stipules none ; involucres in open cymes, each with 4 glands and 

 entire or toothed lobes. 16. Tithymalus. 



Stem not topped by an umbel ; stipules gland-like ; involucres in cluster-like cymes, each with 

 a single gland or rarely 4 glands and fimbriate lobes. 17. Poinsettia. 



i. PHYLLANTHUS L. Sp. PI. 981. 1753. 



Annual, biennial or perennial herbs. Stems wiry. Leaves alternate, entire, often numer- 

 ous, and so arranged as to appear like the leaflets of a compound leaf. Flowers monoecious, 

 apetalous, sessile or pedicelled, a staminate and a pistillate one together in the axils. Calyx 

 mostly 5-6-parted, the lobes imbricated. Stamens usually 3, the filaments more or less united, 

 rarely separate. Ovary 3-celled ; ovules 2 in each cavity ; styles 3, each 2-cleft. Capsule 

 globose, each carpel 2-seeded; endosperm_of the seed fleshy. [Greek, leaf-flower.] 



More than 125 species, natives of the tropical and temperate zones of both hemispheres. Type 

 species : Phyllanthus Niriiri L. 



1. Phyllanthus carolinensis Walt. Caro- 



lina Phyllanthus. Fig. 2711. 



Phyllanthus carolinensis Walt. Fl. Car. 228. 1788. 

 Phyllanthus obovatus Willd. Sp. PI. 4: 574. 1805. 



Annual, dark green, glabrous. Stem slender, 

 erect, or ascending, 4'-2o' high, simple or branch- 

 ed, the branches 2-ranked ; leaves obovate, or 

 oblong, 3"-io" long, obtuse, narrowed to a very 

 short petiole, or subsessile ; flowers inconspicuous, 

 nearly sessile in the axils ; calyx 6-parted, its 

 lobes linear, or oblong ; stamens 3 ; styles 3, each 

 2-cleft; glands of the pistillate flower more or 

 less united; capsule about i" in diameter; seeds 

 nearly \" long, marked with lines and minute 

 black papillae. 



In sandy or gravelly soil, eastern Pennsylvania to 

 Illinois, Kansas, Florida, Texas and Central America. 

 May-Oct. 



2. ANDRACHNE L. Sp. PI. 1014. 1753. 



Herbs, or shrubby plants, with diffusely branch- 

 ing stems. Leaves alternate, petioled, the blades 

 often membranous. Flowers monoecious, axillary, pedicelled, the staminate often clustered, 

 with a 5-6-lobed calyx, 5 or 6 petals, a glandular or lobed disk, 5 or 6 stamens and distinct 

 filaments ; pistillate flowers solitary, with a 5-6-lobed calyx, minute petals or these wanting ; 

 ovary 3-celled ; styles stout, 2-cleft or 2-parted ; ovules 2 in each cavity. Capsules dry, sepa- 

 rating into 3 2-valved carpels. Seed somewhat curved, rugose; endosperm fleshy; embryo 

 curved. [From the Greek for Portulaca.] 



About 12 species, of wide geographic distribution. Type species: Andrachne Telephioides L. 



i. Andrachne phyllanthoides (Nutt.) 



Mull. Arg. Northern Andrachne. 



Fig. 2712. 



Lepidanthus phyllanthoides Nutt. Trans. Am. Philos. 



Soc. 5: 175. 1837. 

 Andrachne phyllanthoides Mull. Arg. in DC. Prodr. 



15: 435. 1862. 



A straggling much branched shrub, i-3 tall, 

 with glabrous lustrous branches and minutely 

 pubescent twigs. Leaves numerous, the blades 

 obovate or oval, 4" -9" long, retuse or obtuse at 

 the apex, often mucronulate, bright green, paler 

 beneath than above, short-petioled; pedicels fili- 

 form, 3"-io" long, glabrous ; calyx-segments ob- 

 long-obovate, f"-ii" long, spreading; petals of 

 two kinds, those of the staminate flowers nar- 

 rowly obovate, or oblong-obovate. 3-5-toothed, 

 greenish-yellow, those of the pistillate flowers 

 smaller, broadly obovate, entire ; capsule subglo- 

 bose, rather fleshy until mature. 



On rocky barrens, Missouri to Arkansas and Texas. 

 Summer. 



