E UPHORBIA CEA E. 57 



ous, the blades ovate to oblong-ovate, 1.2-5 cm. long, green above, undulate; pedi- 

 cels 2-6 mm. long, recurving; calyx slightly accrescent, its segments oblong or 

 elliptic-oblong, becoming 4 mm. long, slightly keeled in age; capsules oval, 6- 

 7 mm. long, tomentose, truncate-obtuse at both ends, drooping; seeds oblong- 

 elliptic, nearly 4 mm. long. In dry soil, Kans. to Tex. and N. Mex. Summer. 



4. Croton monanthogynus Michx. SINGLE-FRUITED CROTON. d. F. f. 

 229-!.) Main stem slender, 1-2 dm. high, topped by a 3-5 -rayed umbel with rays 

 1-4 dm. long, forked or umbellately branched; leaves ovate or oblong, 1-3 cm. 

 long; staminate flowers clustered at the ends of erect peduncles, with 3-5 unequal 

 calyx-segments, the same number of petals and scale-like glands, and 3-8 stamens; 

 pistillate flowers 'mostly solitary, on recurved pedicels, with 5 equal calyx seg- 

 ments, no petals, and 5 glands; capsule ovoid or oblong-ovoid, 4-5 mm. l<ng; 

 seeds oval or orbicular, variegated, minutely pitted, shining. In dry soil, N. Car, 

 to Ind. and Kans.. south to Fla. and Mex. June-Oct. 



5. Croton Texensis (Klotzsch.) Muell. Arg. TEXAS CROTON. (I. F. f. 

 2293.) Stem rather slender, 2-6 dm. high, paniculately or ccrymbosely branched; 

 leaves ovate to linear-oblong or almost linear, 2-7.5 mm - l n g; staminate flowers 

 racemose; pistillate flowers sessile or nearly so, in stalked clusters; calyx equally 

 5 -parted, the segments ovate; petals none; glands 5, minute; stamens mostly 10; 

 capsule subglobose, 5-6 mm. in diameter, somewhat muricate; seeds ovoid or 

 oval, variegated, finely reticulated. In dry soil, S. Dak. to Mo., Ala. and N. 

 Mex. June-Sept. 



4. CROTONOPSIS Michx. 



Annual slender silvery-scurfy monoecious herbs with narrow alternate or rarely 

 opposite leaves. Staminate flowers uppermost in the clusters, with an equally 5- 

 parted calyx, 5 petals and 5 inflexed stamens opposite the petals enlarged at the 

 summit. Pistillate flowers with 3-5 parted calyx, no petals, 5 petal-like glands 

 opposite the calyx-segments, and a i-celled ovary; ovule I. Fruit a small scaly or 

 spiny achene-like capsule. Seed longitudinally wrinkled. [Greek, Croton-like.] 

 Two known species, natives of the southeastern U. S. 



I. Crotonopsis linearis Michx. CROTONOPSIS. (I. F. f. 2294.) Foliage 

 covered with peltate somewhat fringed scales, except on the green upper surfaces 

 of the leaves. Stem wiry, 1-5 dm. high; leaves oblong-ovate to linear-lanceolate, 

 1-3 cm. long, entire; staminate flowers with spatulate petals; achene-like capsule 

 ovoid- elliptic; seed ovoid. 2-3 mm. long. In dry sandy soil, N. J. to Kans., south 

 to Fla. and Tex. July-Sept. 



5. DITAXIS Vahl. 



Monoecious perennial herbs, or shrubs. Leaves alternate, often strongly nerved. 

 Flowers often racemed, usually bracted. Staminate flowers often crowded at the 

 ends of the racemes; calyx 4-5-lobed, the lobes valvate; petals 4 or 5, alternate with 

 the calyx-lobes and with the lobes of the disk; stamens of the same number as the 

 petals or two or three times as many, united into a column. Pistillate fit wers with 

 the calyx-lobes imbricated and smaller petals, the ovary 3-celled. Capsule 3-lobed, 

 depressed. Seeds sometimes crested. [Greek, double-ranked, in allusion to the 

 stamens. ] About 20 species, natives of temperate and tropical regions. 



Flowers in terminal and axillary racemes; leaves sessile. i. D. mercurialina. 



Flowers in axillary clusters ; leaves short-petioled. 2. D. humth's. 



1. Ditaxis mercurialina (Nutt.) Coult. TALL DITAXIS. (I. F. f. 2295.) 

 Stem strict, silky, 1-6 dm. high. Leaves ovate to narrowly lanceolate, 2-5 crn. 

 long, undulate, often strongly 3 nerved; staminate flowers with lanceolate or 

 linear-lanceolate acute ciliate calyx-segments, and spatulate -oblong undulate petals; 

 pistillate flowers with a 5 -parted calyx, the segments lanceolate, spreading, 3 

 times as long as those of the staminate; capsules 6-9 mm. in diameter, somewhat 

 silky; seeds globose-ovoid, 4 mm. long, pointed, wrinkled. In dry soil, Kans. and 

 Ark. to Tex. Lower leaves somewhat oblanceolate. April July. 



2. Ditaxis humilis (Engelm. & Gray) Pax. Low DITAXIS. (I. F. f. 2296.) 

 Stem much branched, the branches spreading, 1-3 dm. long. Leaves ovate, ob- 

 long, obovate or oblanceolate, 1-3 cm. long; staminate flowers with petals a little 



