604 MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



the fertile flower 3-5 parted, subtended by a foliaceous bract; petals wanting 

 in both staminate and pistillate flowers; stamens 8-16 united at their bases; 

 capsule consisting of 3 globular 2-valved carpels, each 1-seeded. About 250 

 species chiefly tropical, 3 species in the central and eastern states. A. gracilens 

 has smaller leaves than A. virginica. A. ostryaefolia has echinate fruit and oc- 

 curs from New Jersey to Texas and Kansas. 



Acalypha virginica L. Three-seeded Mercury 



A smoothish or hairy annual from 1-2 feet high often turning purple, es- 

 pecially in the autumn; leaves ovate or oblong ovate, sparingly serrate, long 

 petioled; sterile spike few-flowered; pistillate flowers 1-3 at the base of stam- 

 inate peduncle; capsule 3-lobed subglobose; seeds ovoid, reddish striate. 



Distribution. From Nova Scotia to Florida, Texas, Kansas and Minnesota. 



Poisonous properties. This has been sent to me several times as supposedly 

 poisonous. It is distasteful to cattle and they refuse to eat it in the pasture. 



8. Stillingia L. Queen's Root 



Smooth upright herbs or shrubs; leaves alternate or rarely opposite, fre- 

 quently with 2 glands at the base; flowers in spikes, apetalous; calyx 2-3 cleft 

 or parted; staminate flowers, several together in the axils of the bractlets, 

 stamens 2 or Z f pistillate flowers solitary in the axils of the lower bractlets; 

 capsule 3-celled and 3-seeded. About 15 species of tropical America and the 

 Pacific Islands. 



Stillingia sylvatica L. Queen's Delight 



A bright green herb 1-3 feet high; leaves nearly sessile lanceolate or ellip- 

 tical, 2 glandular base ; flowers lemon-colored subtended by small bracts with 

 saucer-shaped glands; calyx cup-shaped; capsule depressed; seeds ovoid, light 

 gray, minutely pitted and a flat base. 



Distribution. From Virginia to Florida, Texas and Kansas in light sandy 

 soil. 



Poisonous properties. This plant is commonly used in medicine. It is said 

 to be an efficient alterative. It contains an acrid resin sylvacal and an acrid 

 fixed oil. 



SAPINDALES 



Trees, shrubs or herbs; petals usually present and separate; sepals usually 

 distinct; stamens rarely more than twice as many as the sepals or fewer; op- 

 posite or alternate ; ovary superior, compound ; ovule pendulous. Contains many 

 tropical plants, some with milky juice. In the family Buxaceae .is the common 

 box (Buxus sempervirens} which is used as a hedge plant and furnishes the 

 best wood for wood engraving. The plant is an acrid poison. It is sometimes 

 substituted for hops in the manufacture of beer and thus becomes the occasion 

 of serious accident. The edible crowberry (Hmpetrum nigrum) belongs to the 

 family Empetraceae and occurs far northward in America and Europe. The 

 bladdernut (Staphylea trifolia) of Atlantic North America belongs to the family 

 Staphyleaceae. The family Sapindaceae contains the balloon vine (Cardio- 



