THE SPURGK FAMILY. 



FLOWERING SPURGE. 



Euphorbia corollala. 



301 



Flcnuers : minute, monoecious, growing at the ends of forked l)ranthcs and sur- 

 rounded by a white, coroUa-like involucre with five rounded l<)l)cs. Utamninle 

 ficnvers : with one stamen scattered over the inner surface of its involucre. Pistil- 

 late fl(nvcrs : growing singly in the cup-shaped or top-sliaped involucre and having 

 a three-lobed ovary and three styles. Leaves : alternate on the stem, and whorlcd 

 just below the umbel, oblong or oblong-spatulate, entire, thick, smooth above, 

 bright gi ecu and mostly hairy underneath. Stem : two to three feet high ; divided 

 umbellately into branches,which again divide and bear tiic lltnver-hcads, purplish, 

 or spotted. 



Very, very commonly we see this little plant flecking- thin strips of wood- 

 lands or wayside paths with its tiny white llowers. And yet it is not the 

 true flowers which attract us, but their involucres flaring about as though 

 they were so many orthodox little petals. These appendages, moreover, 

 subtend yellowish-green glands, a custom not unusual with this genus. 

 That the spurges have certain medicinal properties has for many years been 

 known ; and of this species especially the horizontal rootstock is collected. 



E. heterophjflla, various-leaved spurge, presents little in general appearance 

 that is similar to the preceding species. It is erect, pubescent or nearly 

 smooth, rather coarse looking and bears alternate oval leaves, the uppermost 

 deeply lobed, with rounded sinuses at the sides which extend more than 

 half way to the midrib. The forked branches at the summit of tiie stem 

 bearing the flower cluster are very short, while near the flowers the leaves 

 become coloured bracts and appear as a gay involucre. They are brightly 

 tinted with old rose and thus form quite the striking feature of the plant. 



E. maculdta, spotted spurge or milk purslane, an extremely dainty, grace- 

 ful little prostrate herb, is commonly seen in waste ground and well over the 

 country. Its leaves are very small, oblong, finely serrate and besides being 

 blotched turn to brilliant shades of red and purple. Along the pubescent 

 branches occur most abundantly in the axils the small white or red in- 

 volucres. 



TREAD=SOFTLY. SPURGE NETTLE. {Philc XC/r.) 



Jdl) -I >p/i ( I slim it/bsa. 



FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Sj>u}-^c. White or pink. Scentless. Virgi nia to l-'lorida MurchSt/Unibtr 



and 7vestivard. 



Flowers: monoecious, growing in cvmes. Calyx: of the sterile blossoms, 

 showy; salver-form, with five lobes. Petals: none. Stamens: ten, five of which 



