OBDER OVm. — EUPHORBIACE^. 499 



Genus VI.— RIC INUS. L. . 1 9— 1 5. 

 (From ricinus, a tick, from the appearance of the seeds.) 



Floioers monoecious. Staminate flowers — calyx 5-parted ; 

 stamens numerous. Pistillate flowers — calyx 3-parted ; styles 

 3, 2-cleft ; capsules spiny, 3-celled, 3-seeded. 



Castor-ail Plant. 



1. R. commu'nis. Ste7n erect, hoary, pruinose. Leaves peltate, 

 palmate; lubes lanceolate, serrate. — Road-sides. lutroduced from the 

 East Indies. 



Genus VII.— CROTONOP'SIS. Rich. 19—5. 

 (From its resemblance to Croton.) 



Monoecious. Sterile florets ; perianth 5-parted, with 5 peta 

 loid scales. Stamens 5. Fertile florets ; perianth 5-parted 

 Stigmas 3, twice bifid. Capsule 1-seeded, indehiscent. 



1. C. linea'kis, (Mich.) Stem erect, dichotomously branched, cover- 

 ed with silvery scales. Leaves linear-lanceolate, entire, on short petiole.", 

 stel lately pubescent above, and with silvery scales beneath. Flower i 

 In terminal ami axillary spikes, very minute. — 0. May — June. Pine 

 barrens. 12 — 18 inches. 



Genus VIII.— CRO'TON. L. 19-15. 

 (From the Greek kroton, a tick, from the form of its seed.) 



Monoecious. Sterile florets ; perianth cylindrical, 5-toothed 

 Corolla 4-petaled or none. Stamens 10 — 15. Fertile flowers, 

 perianth 5 or many leaved, or none. Corolla none. Styles 3 

 — 6, 2-cleft. Ca2)sule 3-celled, with 1 seed in each cell. 



1. C. marit'imum, (Walt.) Stem somewhat ehrubby, erect, trichoto- 

 mously divided, with the branches clothed with a stellular toinenturn. 

 Leaves oval, obtuse, entire, subcordate, pale above, hoary lienoaih. 

 Flotvers in spikes; those of the sterile florets many-flowered, tlie fcriilo 

 florets generally in pairs. Capsule tomentoi?e. — If. June — October. 

 Drifting sands along the sea-coast. 2 — 3 feet. 



2. C. argyran'themum, (Mich.) Stern somewhat shrubby. leaves 

 entire, obtuse, obovate. Floioers numerous, in short teiminal racemes. 

 Perianth pedicellate, silvery. — U- July. Dry ^oH-^- 1 — '- feet. 



3. C. GLANDULo'suM, (L.) Stem erect, his|)id, trichotomously divided, 

 often colored. Leaves oblong, serrate, hairy beneatli, beariui; 2 i,d.;nd8 

 at the base. Flowers in spikes in the divisions of tl).- .«ten). with th." 

 fertile and sterile intermingled ; the sterile with a 5-p.taled corolla, the 

 petals white, longer than the calyx, and ins(>rted into its bast-. Sta- 

 mens 10. Fertile floi-ets ; perianth 5-leaved, hispiil ; leaves unequal. 

 — 0. June— Oct. Cultivated lands. Very common. 1—2 feet. 



4. C. ELLip'xrcuM, (Nutt.) Stem pubescent, irregularly branched, to- 

 nientose wlien young. Leaves oval-lanceolate, entire, pale beneath, 

 stellular pubescent. Flowers in terminal clusters ; the stt-rile spike 

 growing in the midst of the fertile flowers. Capsule tomciUoae. — Q. 

 July, Middle Car. and Geo. 1 — 2 f«et. 



