586 FLORA. 



Calyx mostly 5-6-parted, the lobes imbricated. Stamens usually 3. Ovules 2 in 

 each cavity; styles 3, each 2-cleft. [Greek, leaf-flower, the blossoms in some 

 species being seated on leaf-like flattened branches.] Mure than 400 species, natives 

 of the tropical and temperate zones of both hemispheres. 



i. Phyllanthus Carolinensis Walt. CAROLINA PHYLLANTHUS. (I. F. f. 

 2289.) Annual; glabrous. Stem slender, 1-5 dm. high, the branches 2-ranked; 

 leaves obovate or oblong, 6-20 mm. long, obtuse; flowers inconspicuous, nearly 

 sessile in the axils; calyx 6-parted, its lobes linear or oblong; glands of the pistil- 

 late flower more or less united; capsule about 2 mm. in diameter; seeds i mm. 

 long, marked with lines and minute black papillae. In sandy or gravelly soil, 

 eastern Penn. to 111., Kans., Fla., Tex. and Cent. Am. May-Get. 



2. ANDRACHNE L. 



Herbs, or shrubby plants, with diffusely branching stems. Leaves alternate. 

 Flowers monoecious, axillary, the staminate often clustered, with a 5-6-lobed 

 calyx, 5 or 6 petals, and 5 or 6 stamens; pistillate flowers solitary, with a 5-6-lobed 

 calyx, minute petals, or these wanting; styles 2 cleft or 2-parted; ovules 2 in each 

 cavity. [From the Greek for Portulaca.] About 10 species, of wide distribution. 



i. Andrachne phyllanthoides (Nutt.) Muell. Any. NORTHERN ANDRACHNE. 

 (I. F. f. 2289a.) A straggling much branched shrub, 3-10 dm. tall, with glabrous 

 lustrous branches and minutely pubescent twigs. Leaves obovate or oval, 0.8- 

 1.8 cm. long, retuse or obtuse, often mucronulate. paler beneath than above; pedi- 

 cels filiform, 6-20 cm. long, glabrous; calyx-segments oblong-obovate, 1.5-3 mm - 

 long; petals of two kinds, those of the staminate flowers narrowly obovate or 

 oblong-obovate, 3-5-toothed, those of the pistillate flowers smaller, broadly obovate, 

 entire; capsule subglobose. On rocky barrens, Mo. to Ark. and Tex. Summer. 



3. CROTON L. 



Herbs or shrubs, strong-scented, stellate-pubescent. Leaves mostly alternate, 

 sometimes with 2 glands at the base of the blade. Flowers often spicate or race- 

 mose. Staminate flowers uppermost; calyx 4-6-parted (usually 5 parted); petals 

 usually present, but small or rudimentary, alternating with glands; stamens 5 or 

 more. Pistillate flowers below the staminate; calyx 5-io-parted; petals usually 

 wanting; ovary mostly 3-celled; ovule i in each cavity; styles once, twice or many 

 times 2-cleft. [The Greek name of the Castor-oil plant.] About 600 species, 

 mostly of warm and tropical regions, a few in the temperate zones. 



Plants monoecious. 



Leaves toothed ; staminate calyx 4-lobed, pistillate 5-lobed. i. C. glandulosus. 

 Leaves entire ; staminate calyx 3~5-lobed, pistillate 5~i2-lobed. 



Capsules conspicuously clustered, not nodding. 2. C. capitatus. 



Capsules solitary or never conspicuously clustered, nodding. 



Foliage whitish ; capsules 6-7 mm. long. 3. C. Lindheimerianus. 



Foliage silvery ; capsules 4-5 mm. long. 4. C. monanthogynus. 



Plant dioecious. 5. C. Texensts. 



1. Croton grlandulosus L. GLANDULAR CROTON. (I. F. f. 2290.) Deep 

 green, rough with stellate hairs, and somewhat glandular. Stem 2-7.5 ^ m - 

 corymbosely branched; leaves oblong, linear-oblong or ovate, 1.2-7.5 cm - 

 bearing 2 glands at the base of the blade; staminate flowers in spikes, with 4 

 petals, a 4 rayed glandular disk and 8 stamens; pistillate flowers several, with 

 rudimentary petals; capsule subglobose, about 5 mm. in length; seeds oblong, 

 minutely wrinkled. In sandy soil, Va. to la. and Kans., south to Fla. and Cent. 

 Am. Also in the W. I. and S. Am. March-Dec. 



2. Croton capitatus Michx. CAPITATE CROTON. HOGWORT. (I. F. f. 

 2291.) Silvery green, densely stellate-pubescent. Stem usually corymbosely 

 branched above; leaves lanceolate, oblong or rarely ovate, often undulate; flowers 

 clustered at the ends of the branches, the staminate racemose, with a 5 -parted 

 calyx, 5 petals, and 10-14 stamens; pistillate flowers several, sessile, with 7-12 

 sepals, no petals; capsule depressed-globose. 6-7 mm. in diameter; seeds gray or 

 variegated, turtle-shaped. In dry soil, N. J. to Iowa, Ga. and Tex. May- Oct. 



3 Croton Lindheimerianus Scheele. LINDHEIMER'S CROTON. (I. F. f. 

 2292a.) Stems 1-4 dm. tall, sometimes diffusely branched; leaves rather numer- 



