EUPHORBIACEAE. 



[VOL. II. 



2. Acalypha Virginica L,. 



Virginia Three-seeded Mercury. 



(Fig. 2298.) 



Acalypha Virginica L. Sp. PI. 1003. 1753. 



Dark green or becoming purplish, some- 

 what pubescent. Stem erect or ascending, 

 3 / -2 tall; leaves ovate or elliptic, io // -4 / 

 long, thin, coarsely serrate except near the 

 base; staminatc and pistillate flowers in the 

 same axillary clusters, the stamiuatc spike 

 peduncled, usually included in the large pal- 

 mately lobed bract; pistillate flowers 1-3 

 at the base of the statninate peduncle; cap- 

 sule 3-lobed, subglobose, about i%" in 

 diameter, smooth, sometimes slightly pubes- 

 cent; seeds ovoid, reddish, striate. 



In woods and thickets, Ontario and Minne- 

 sota, south to Florida and Texas. Occurs at 

 3000 ft. in Georgia. Upper leaves commonly 

 forming a flat-topped cluster. June-Oct. 



3. Acalypha gracilens A. Gray. Slender Three-seeded Mercury. (Fig. 2299.) 



Acalypha grac Hens A. Gray, Man. 408. 1848. 



Acalypha I'irginica var. gracilens Muell. 

 Arg. I<innaea, 34: 45. 1865. 



Pale green, pubescent, often densely 

 glandular. Stem slender, erect, 4'-2> 

 tall, usually branched, the branches often 

 nearly filiform, spreading or divergent; 

 leaves lanceolate or linear-oblong, $"-2 f 

 long, usually firm, acutish, serrate, narrowed 

 to a short petiole; staminate and pistillate 

 flowers in the same axillary clusters; stami- 

 nate spike very slender, usually exceeding 

 the many-cleft bract; pistillate flowers i or 

 several; capsule subglobose, about \W in 

 diameter; seeds globose-ovoid, dark red, or 

 gray mottled with red, striate-pitted. 



In dry woods and thickets, Rhode sland to 

 Kansas, Florida andTexas. Occurs 2000 ft. 

 in South Carolina. June-Sept. 



6. TRAGIA L. Sp. PI. 980. 1753. 



Monoecious herbs, or shrubs, sometimes climbing, usually armed with stiff stinging hairs. 

 Leaves alternate, toothed or somewhat lobed, mostly cordate, petioled ; flowers in racemes, 

 or spicate racemes, bracteolate, apetalous; staminate flowers with a 3-5-parted calyx and 1-3 

 or rarely numerous stamens; pistillate flowers with a 3-8-lobed calyx, the segments entire or 

 pinnatifid, a 3-celled ovary with I ovule in each cavity, and 3 styles, often united to above 

 the middle; capsule 3-lobed, separating into 3 2-valved carpels; seeds subglobose; endosperm 

 fleshy. [From Tragus, the Latin name of Hieronymus Bock, 1498-1553, a German botanist.] 



About 50 species, mostly natives of tropical regions. 

 Stems not twining. 



Staminate calyx 4-lobed; stamens 2. i. T. urens. 



Staminate calyx 3-lobed; stamens 3. 2. T. nepetaefolia. 



Staminate calyx 4-5-lobed; stamens 4 or 5. 3. T. ramosa. 



Stems twining. 4. T. macrocarfia. 



