DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 271 



denticulate; stipules small, reddish, linear; cymes in the uppermost axils and ter- 

 minal, subsessile, corymliose-capitate, dense; involucre sparsely hairy without, 

 densely hairy within; lobes triangular-lanceolate; glands substipitate, orbiculate, 

 with a white obovate-oblong appendage much wider than themselves; style bifid, 

 young capsule hairy. 



Type specimen, collected in Guam by Gaudichaud, in the herbarium of De CandoUe. 

 Stem 30 cm. high; leaves 18 mm. long, 8 to 10 mm. wide; branches of the cymes 

 provided with linear leaves. The plant is rarely smooth. It is closely allied to 

 Euphorbia sinensis {Euphorbia sernUata Reinw. not Thuill.), but its involucre is 

 smaller than in that species. 

 Referknces: 



Euphorbia gaudichaudii Boiss. Cent. Euph. 7. 1860. 



Euphorbia hirta. • Asthma herb. 



Local names.— Golondrina (Guam); Batabotonis (Philippines). 

 An annual hispid weed with acute leaves, minute flowers, and small round fruit. 

 Stem 15 to 30 cm. high, decumbent, ascending or erect, cylindrical, rather stout, with 

 more or less copious spreading, crisped, bristly hair; leaves opposite, 18 to 37 mm. 

 long, on very short petioles, lanceolate-oblong, very unequal-sided, acute or subacute, 

 serrate, sparingly hairy on both surfaces, pale glaucous, sometimes pinkish, with promi- 

 nent veins beneath; stipules pectinate, soon falling; flower heads minute, numerous, 

 shortly stalked, crowded in small rounded pedunculate axillary cymes; involucre very 

 small, glands obscure or absent; capsule minute, adpressed-hairy, the lobes keeled; 

 seeds ovoid-trigonous, transversely wrinkled, bright light brown. 



Common in cultivated ground and in waste places. Flowers greenish, blooming 

 constantly. A plant widely spread in the Tropics. It has been used as a remedy for 

 bronchitis and asthma, and in Australia it is known as " Queensland asthma herb." 

 References: 

 Euphorbia hirta L. Sp. PI. 1: 454. 1753. 

 Euphorbia pilulif era L. Sp. PI. 1: 454. 1753. 

 Euphorbia hirta has place priority. 

 Euphorbia pilulifera. Same as Euphorbia hirta. 



Euphorbiaceae. Spurge family. 



This family is represented in Guam by the genera Glochidion, Phyllanthus, 

 Echinus, Acalypha, Ricinus, Aleurites, Jatropha, Manihot, Phyllaurea, Excoecaria, 

 and Euphorbia. 



Excoecaria agallocha. Blinding tree. Milky mangrove. 



Family Euphorbiaceae. 



Local names. — Buta-buta, Alipata (Philippines); Siak (Visayan); Sinu-gaga 

 (Fiji); River poisonous tree, Blind-your-eyes (Australia). 

 An evergreen tree with glossy, oblong leaves, spikes of small green flowers and 

 acrid, milky sap, growing in mangrove swamps or near the seabeach. Flowers usu- 

 ally monoecious, the female flowers, few in number, growing at the base of the spikes; 

 both sexes without disk or petals; calyx 3-parted; male flowers without rudimentary 

 ovary; stamens 2 or 3, anthers free; female flowers with 3-celled ovary; style undi- 

 vided; floral bracts densely imbricated. 



When the tree is cut or bruised the milky juice flows copiously from the wound 

 and soon hardens like rubber. It is so acrid that it will blister the skin and is almost 

 blinding if it gets into the eyes. The smoke of the burning wood is also very irritat- 

 ing; in Fiji it is thought to be a remedy for leprosy. The wood is white, soft, and 

 spongy. In India fishing floats are sometimes made from the roots. 

 References: 



Excoecaria agallocha Stickman, Herb. Amb. 1754; Amoen. Acad. 4: 122. 1759. 



Excoecaria cammettia. Same as Excoecaria agallocha. 



