178 EUPHOBBIACEAE. 



capsular, sometimes achene-like, drupaceous or baccate. Seeds often 

 carunculate. 



Styles or stigmas distinct or mainly so, cleft or f oliaceous : ovary 3-celled or rarely 

 1- or 2-celled : stamens several, except when on the inside of an involucre. 



Fam. 1. EUPHORBIACEAE. 

 Styles united by pairs : ovary 4-celled : stamen solitary. Fam. 2. CALLITBICHACEAB. 



FAMILY 1. EUPHORBIACEAE. SPURGE FAMILY. 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees often with milky sap. Leaves opposite, 

 whorled, or alternate: blades entire, toothed, or lobed. Flowers monoe- 

 cious or dioecious, solitary, or variously clustered, or much reduced and in 

 an involucre (Chamaesyce and genera following). Calyx of 2-several 

 sepals, or obsolete. Corolla of 2-several petals, or wanting. Androecium 

 of few-many stamens. Gynoecium of 3 or many united carpels, or 1-car- 

 pellary. Fruit capsular or drupaceous. 



Flowers not borne in an involucre : calyx of several sepals. 



Ovules, and seeds, 2 in each carpel. 1. PHYLLANTHUS. 



Ovule, and seed, 1 in each carpel. 



Leaf-blades not peltate : inflorescence spicate : stamens 



few ; filaments not forked. 2. ACALYPHA. 



Leaf-blades peltate : inflorescence racemose or panicu- 

 late : stamens very numerous ; filaments much forked. 3. RICINUS. 

 Flowers borne in involucres : calyx a minute scale or obsolete. 

 Glands of the involucres with petal-like appendages. 



Leaves opposite, stipulate ; blades inequilateral : inflores- 

 cence axillary or clustered 4. CHAMAESYCE. 

 Leaves alternate or scattered, without stipules ; blades 



equilateral : inflorescence umbel-like. 5. TITIIYMALOPSIS. 



Glands of the involucre without petal-like appendages, en- 

 tirely naked, sometimes with crescent-like horns. 

 Stem topped by an umbel : stipules none : involucres in 

 open cymes, each with 4 glands and entire or toothed 

 lobes. 6. TITHYMALUS. 



Stem not topped by an umbel : stipules gland-like : in- 

 volucres in cluster-like cymes, each with a single gland 

 or rarely 4 glands and fimbriate lobes. 7. POINSETTIA. 



1. PHYLLANTHUS L. Herbs or partially woody plants. Leaf-blades 

 entire. Flowers apetalous. Staminate flowers with 5 or 6 sepals and usually 

 3 stamens. Pistillate flowers with 5 or 6 sepals and a 3-celled ovary. Fruit 

 capsular. 



1. P. carolinensis Walt. Plants 1-5 dm. tall, the stem glabrous: leaf -blades 

 obovate to oblong-obovate,, rather gradually narrowed to the base: staminate 

 calyx 1.5 mm. wide; sepals suborbicular : mature pistillate calyx 2.5 mm. wide; 

 sepals oblong to oblong-spatulate : capsules about 2 mm. wide. S. Eare, on 

 river-banks and roadsides. Schists. Sum. 



2. ACALYPHA L. Herbs or shrubs. Leaf -blades entire or toothed. 

 Flowers monoecious or sometimes dioecious. Staminate flowers with 4 sepals 

 and 8-16 stamens. Pistillate flowers with 3-5 sepals and a 3-celled ovary, each 

 subtended by a foliaceous bract. Fruit a capsule. 



1. A. virginica L. Stems 1-7 dm. tall: leaf -blades ovate or elliptic, 2-10 cm. 

 long, serrate: larger bracts about 2 cm. long, lobed: capsules about 3 mm. 

 in diameter: seeds nearly 2 mm. long. Common, in waste places, thickets and 

 woods. Sum. THREE-SEEDED MERCURY. 



3. RICINUS [Tourn.] L. Herbs, shrubs, or trees. Leaf -blades peltate, 

 palmately lobed. Flowers monoecious, apetalous. Staminate flowers with 3-5 



