A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



47 



officinalis, Croton, and StiUingin sylvalica (queen's 

 root) are used for syphilis. Euphorbia corollata and E. 

 Ipecacuanha are emetic. E. thymifolia. is used as a ver- 

 mifiiKC in India. Croton Eluteria yields cascarilla bark, 

 a tonic. The hairs of the capsule of Matlotus philip- 

 piiiensis are in the trade as kamala. The juice of E. 

 colinifolia is used by the Caribbeans to poison arrows; 

 that of Excmcaria Agallocha (blinding tree) is so acrid 

 as to blind the eye into which it may chance to fall. 

 The juice of E. halsamifcra, of the Canaries, is cooked 

 and eaten as jell}'. The seeds of Aleurites Iriloha are 

 called "almonds," and eaten; as are also those of Con- 

 ceveiba guyanensis. The fruit of E. disticka is edible. 

 E. Emblica has fleshy, sweet fruit. The most useful 

 as food are the tuberous roots of the sweet manioc 

 {Manihot palnmta var. Aipii), eaten cooked or raw; and 

 of the bitter manioc (M. uHlissima), which is poisonous 

 when raw, but when cooked is very widely used for 

 food in the tropics. This root is the source of cassava 

 bread, and tapioca. Phosphorescent juice is obtained 

 from E. phosphorca of Brazil. The fruit of Hura crepitans 

 (sand-box) opens with a report hke a pistol. It is 

 cooked in oil to prevent dehiscence, and used as a sand- 

 box. India rubber is obtained from the juice of Hcvea 

 guyanensis, and other species. Omphalea triandra yields 

 a blackening juice used as ink. Soap is made from the 

 seminal oil of Jatropha Curcas. Oil from the seeds of 

 Aleurites cordata (Japanese oil tree) is used for light- 

 ing. Turnsole [Crozophora tincloria), of the Mediter- 

 ranean, yields a dye used to color Dutch cheese. Other 

 Kuphorbiaces yield dyes. Sapium sebifcrum (Chinese 

 tallow tree) yields a fat used for burning, and other 

 purposes. 



Twenty to 30 genera are in cultivation in N. America 

 for various purposes. Among these are: Acalypha, 

 ornamental; Aleurites (Candlenut, Candleberry Tree), 

 California; Codiceiun (Croton), ornamental; Euphorbia 

 (Spurge, Snow-on-the-Mountain, Scarlet Plimie, Poin- 

 settia, Mexican Fire Plant, Hypocrite Plant, Painted 

 Leaf, Fire-on-the-Mountain, CrowTi of Thorns, 

 Medusa's Head, Caper Spurge, Mole Plant), green- 

 house, garden, ornamental; Hevea (South Ameri- 

 can Rubber Tree), botanical gardens and Florida; 

 Jatropha (French Physic Nut), South; Manihot 

 (Ceara Rubber Tree, Cassava, Manioc Plant), South, 

 food, and ornamental; Pedilanthus (Bird Cactus, Jew 

 Bush), greenhouse; Phyllanthus (Snow-bush, Embhc 

 Myrobolan, Otaheite Gooseberry), greenhouse, garden; 

 Putranjiva (Indian Amulet Plant), South; Ricinus 

 (Castor-Oil Plant, Palma Christi), garden, ornamental; 

 Stillingia (Queen's Root, Queen's Dehght); Sapiimi 

 (Tallow Tree), South. 



Order 39. Sapindales 



118. Buxacea: (from the genus Buxus, the ancient 

 name of the box). Bcxus Family. Herbs, shrubs or 

 trees: leaves opposite or alternate: flowers moncecious, 

 inconspicuous ; hypogynous disk wanting ; corolla absent ; 

 calyx 4-parted, or in the pistillate flower 4-l"2-parted 

 or 0, imbricated; stamens 4, opposite the lobes of the 

 calyx, or numerous; ovary superior, 3-ceUed, rarely 2-4- 

 celled; ovules 2, collateral, rarely 1, suspended, micro- 

 pyle turned toward the axis; styles 2-3: fruit capsular 

 and opening elastically, or fleshy; seeds with endo- 

 sperm, with or without a caruncle. 



About 6 genera and 30 species inhabit the tropics and 

 Bubtropics. One species is native in the southeastern 

 United States. The largest genus is Buxus with 19 

 species. Fcssil species are known. The family is related 

 to the Euphorbiacea, with which it is united by some 

 authors, and to the Celastracea; and Empetracea;. 

 The absence of milky juice, the calycoid perianth, the 

 3-celled ovary with collateral suspended albuminous 

 seeds, and the axially directed micropyle are together 

 characteristic. 



The wood of the box (Buxus sempervirens) of Europe 

 is close-grained and homogeneous; used for engraving 

 and for the manufacture of musical instruments. A 

 decoction of the wood was formerly used in medicine 

 for fevers. Its leaves and seeds are purgative. Oil 

 from the seeds of Simmondsia is used as a hair-tonic. 



Four or more genera are in cultivation in America. 

 These are: Buxus (Box) ornamental; Pachysandra 



33. Empetr-\ce.e: 1. Empetrum, a, flower; fc, floral diagram. 

 C'oriariace.e: 2. Coriaria, a, flower; h, floral diagram. Ana- 

 cardiace.e: 3. Rhus, a, flower; 6, floral diagram. 4. Anacardium, 

 fruit. CYRILLACE.E: 5. Cyrilla, flower. 



(Mountain Spurge), garden, ornamental; Sarcococca, 

 greenhouse, ornamental; and Simmondsia, California, 

 for oil. 



119. Empetraceae (from the genus Empetrum, an 

 ancient name signifying upon a rock). Crowberry 

 Family. Fig. 33. Small cricoid shrubs: leaves alter- 

 nate, deeply furrowed beneath: flowers pol3'gamous or 

 dioecious, small, regular, hypogynous; disk wanting: 

 sepals 2-3, imbricated; petals 2-3, or 0; stamens of 

 the same number as the petals and alternate \vith them ; 

 ovary superior, 2-9-celled, each cell 1-ovuled; style- 

 branches 2-9, often fringed or toothed: fruit drupa- 

 ceous; seed ascending, anatropous, albuminous; micro- 

 pyle turned toward the outside. 



In the north temperate and arctic regions, and in the 

 Andes, are found 3 genera and about ,5 species. The 

 family is related to the Buxaceae, and more distantly 

 to the Euphorbiacea; and Celastrace«. The habit, 

 the reduced or absent corolla, the few stamens, the 

 1-seeded ovary, the external micropyle, and the absence 

 of the disk and aril are together distinctive. 



The acid berries of Empetrum are eaten in north 

 Europe and Kamtschatka, and also used to prepare a 

 drink. The fruit of Corenm album has been used as a 

 fever remedy. An acid drink is prepared from it in 

 Portugal. 



In North America, 2 genera are in cultivation: Cera- 

 tiola, not hardy; and Empetrum (Crowberry), grown 

 in rock-gardens. 



120. Coriariaceae (from the genus Coriaria, derived 

 from the Latin meaning a hide, used for tanning). 

 Coriaria Family. Fig. 33. Shrubs with opposite or 

 whorled, entire leaves: flowers bisexual, or unisexual, 

 regular; sepals 5, imbricated; petals 5, smaller, but 

 enlarging in fruit, fleshy, keeled within and pressed 

 between the carpels; stamens 10, hypogynous; carpels 

 5-10, superior, separate: fruitlets indehiscent, l-seeded, 

 dry. 



This family consists of a sin'gle genus containing 8 

 species, widely distributed in warm-temperate zones. 

 Coriariaceae is not closely related to any other family; 



