VOL. II.] 



SPURGE FAMILY. 



381 



31. Euphorbia Cyparissias I,. Cypress 

 Spurge. (Fig. 2337.) 



Euphorbia Cyparissias I/. Sp. PI. 461. 1753. 



Perennial by horizontal rootstocks, bright green, 

 glabrous. Stems mostly clustered, often growing 

 in large patches, scaly below, leafy above, erect, i 

 high, or less, branched, the branches topped by 

 many-rayed umbels; leaves linear, or almost filiform, 

 those subtending the umbels whorled, the others 

 alternate, sessile, 6 // -i / long, X // ~ I ^ // broad; in- 

 volucres turbinate-campanulate, i ff long, short-pe- 

 duncled, with 4 unappendaged crescent-shaped 

 glands; capsule subglobose, i%" in diameter, 

 spreading, granular on the rounded lobes; seeds ob- 

 long, i" long, smooth. 



Escaped from gardens to roadsides and waste places 

 in the Atlantic States. Naturalized from Europe. 

 Called also Quack Salver's Spurge. Poisonous when 

 eaten in quantities. Bracts yellowish at flowering time. 

 Ix>wer leaves often mere scales. May-Sept. 



32. Euphorbia robusta (Engelm.) Small. 

 Rocky Mountain Spurge. (Fig. 2338.) 



Euphorbia montana ft robusta Engelm. Bot. Mex. 



Bound. Surv. 192. 1859. 



Perennial by a perpendicular rootstock, glabrous, 

 glaucous. Stems slender, clustered, erect or assur- 

 gent, 4 / -i4 / tall, slightly angled, scaly below, 

 branched, topped by a 3~5-rayed umbel; leaves, 

 except the whorl subtending the umbel, scattered, 

 ovate or oblong-ovate, 5 // -8 // long, thick, obtuse or 

 apiculate, entire, sessile; bracts opposite, triangu- 

 lar-ovate or subreniform, involucres campanulate, 

 \ l /z" long, sessile, bearing 4 somewhat crescent- 

 shaped unappendaged buff crenulate glands; 

 capsule globose-ovoid, 2 /7 long, horizontal, its 

 lobes rounded; seeds oblong or obovoid-oblong, 

 terete, \}" long, gray, minutely pitted. 



Montana and Wyoming to Nebraska and Arkansas. 

 May-Oct. 



I8 3 6.= 



Family 58. CALLITRICHACEAE Lindl. Nat. Syst. Ed. 2, 191. 



WATER STARWORT FAMILY. 



Herbaceous aquatic or rarely terrestrial plants, with slender or capillary 

 stems, opposite exstipulate entire spatulate or linear leaves, and minute perfect 

 or monoecious axillary flowers. Perianth none. Bracts 2, sac-like or none. 

 Stamen i; filament elongated, filiform; anthers cordate, 2 -celled, opening by 

 lateral slits. Pistil i; ovary 4-celled; ovules i in each cavity; styles 2, filiform, 

 papillose nearly the whole length. Fruit compressed, lobed, the lobes more or 

 less winged or keeled on the margins, separating at maturity into 4 flattish 

 i -seeded carpels. Seed anatropous, pendulous; endosperm fleshy; embryo 

 straight or slightly curved, nearly as long as the endosperm. 



Consists of the following genus : 



i. CALLITRICHE L. Sp. PI. 969. 1753. 



Characters of the family. The affinities are variously regarded by botanical authors, 

 some placing it in HALORAGEAE, some in ONAGRACEAE, others near EUPHORBIACEAE, the 

 position here maintained. [Greek, beautiful hair, from the hair-like stems.] 



About 20 species, of very wide geographic distribution. Besides the following, about 7 others 

 occur in the southern and western parts of North America. Known as Water Starwort or Star-grass. 



Fruit short-peduncled; bracts wanting; terrestrial, i. C. Austini. 

 Fruit sessile; aquatic, or some forms growing in mud. 

 Bracts present. 



Fruit oval, flat on the face, longer than the styles. 2. C. paluslris. 



Fruit obovate, plano-convex, shorter than the styles. 3. C. heterophylla. 



Bracts none; leaves all linear, submersed. 4. C. bifida, 



* Text contributed by the late Rev. THOMAS MORONG. 



