EUPHORBIACEAE. 589 



2. Tragia nepetaefolia Cav. CATNEP TRAGIA. (I. F. f. 2301.) Hispid 

 with stinging hairs. Stem erect or reclining, 1.5-4 dm. long; leaves triangular, 

 ovate or lanceolate, 1-5 cm. long, dentate-serrate, cordate, short-petioled, the lower 

 sometimes orbicular; racemes 1-4 cm. long, many-flowered; pistillate flowers with 

 a 5-lobed calyx; capsule much depressed, 6 mm. in diameter, hirsute; seeds glo- 

 bose, chestnut brown, smooth, 4 mm. in diameter. In sandy soil, Kans. to Mex. 

 and.N. Mex. May-Get. 



3. Tragia ramosa Torr. BRANCHING TRAGIA. (I. F. f. 2302.) Light 

 green, bristly with stinging hairs. Stem usually much branched, 0.5-3 dm. long; 

 leaves lanceolate, ovate -lanceolate or triangular-lanceolate, 1.2-5 cm - l n g> acute 

 at the apex, coarsely and sharply serrate, truncate or cordate at the base, short- 

 petioled; racemes 1-5 cm. long; pistillate flowers solitary, with a 5-lobed calyx 

 subtended by a 3 -lobed bract; capsule much depressed, 68 mm. in diameter, 

 bristly; seeds globose. 4 mm. in diameter, orange, more or less variegated. In 

 dry soil, Mo. to Tex., Colo, and Ariz. July-Aug. 



4. Tragia macrocarpa -Willd. TWINING OR LARGE-FRUITED TRAGIA. 

 (I. F. f. 2303.) Slightly hirsute. Stem 2.5-14 dm. long, twining; leaves ovate, 

 5-12 cm. long, deeply cordate, coarsely dentate-serrate, acuminate; petioles mostly 

 shorter than the blades; staminate flowers with a 3-lobed calyx and 3 stamens; pis- 

 tillate flowers with a 5-lobed calyx; capsule depressed, 12-16 mm. in diameter; 

 seeds subglobose, 5 mm. long, smooth, variegated. In dry or rocky soil, Ky. to 

 Mo., Fia. and Mex. June-Sept. 



8. Rl'ciNUS L. 



A tall stout monoecious herb, glabrous and glaucous, with alternate large peltate 

 palmately lobed leaves, and numerous small apetalous greenish 'flowers in terminal 

 racemes, the pistillate above the staminate. Staminate flowers with a 3-5 -parted 

 calyx, the segments valvate, and numerous crowded stamens; filaments repeatedly 

 branched. Pistillate flowers with a caducous calyx. Capsule subglobose, or oval, 

 separating into 3 2-valved carpels. Endosperm fleshy and oily. [The Latin 

 name of the plant.] A monotypic genus of the warmer parts of Africa and Asia. 



i. Ricinus communis L. CASTOR-OIL PLANT. CASTOR-BEAN. PALMA 

 CHRISTI. (I. F. f. 2304.) Stem erect, 1-5 m. tall, more or less branched, 

 becoming tree-like in warm regions. Leaves nearly orbicular in outline, 1-6 dm. 

 broad. 6-1 1 -palmately lobed and peltate, the lobes toothed, acute or acuminate; 

 capsule 12-16 mm. in diameter, usually spiny; seeds shining, smooth, black, vari- 

 egated with white, or mottled with gray and brown markings. In waste places, 

 escaped from cultivation, N. J. to Fla. and Tex. An imposing ornamental plant, 

 and also of medicinal value. 



9. JATROPHA L. 



Monoecious or rarely dioecious perennial bristly herbs, or shrubs, with 

 entire, lobed or divided leaves, the flowers in cymes. Staminate flowers on the, 

 upper parts of the cymes, with a corolla-like 5-lobed calyx, 5 petals distinct or 

 united, or none, the stamens usually numerous (5-30). Pistillate flowers in the 

 lower forks of the cymes; capsule ovoid or subglobose, easily separating into 2- 

 valved carpels. [Greek, healing nutriment] About 70 species, widely distrib- 

 uted in warm and temperate regions. Besides the following, some 4 others occur 

 in the Southern States. 



i. Jatropha stimulosa Michx. SPURGE NETTLE. TREAD-SOFTLY. (I. F. f. 

 2305.) Perennial by a stout root, herbaceous, bright green, stinging. Stem erect, 

 i-n dm. tall; leaves nearly orbicular in outline, 6-30 cm. broad, truncate or cor- 

 date at the base, deeply 3-5-lobed, the lobes entire, toothed or pinnatifid; calyx of 

 the staminate flowers salverform. white or pink, 2-4 cm. broad; capsule oblong, 

 12-16 mm. long, papillose, wrinkled; seeds oblong-obovoid, 10-12 mm. long, 

 smooth, mottled. In dry sandy soil, Va. to Fla. and Tex. March-Aug. 



10. STILLI'NGIA L. 



Monoecious glabrous herbs or shrubs, with alternate or rarely opposite leaves, 

 of. en with 2 glands at the base, the flowers bracteolate, in terminal spikes, apetal- 

 0'is, the bractlets 2-glandular. Stambate (lowers several together in the axils of 



