ir.d 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



aud its stem makes one of the false white Araericau Ipecacuaulias. 

 Nearly all our European species of Euphorhia are vomitive aud pur- 

 gative hydragogues, and cannot be handled without care, particularly 

 E. CyparisHias^ Esula^" Gerardiana,^ HcUoscopa^^ Pepilus^^ Fithy- 

 usa,''' etc.''' They owe their powerful properties sometimes to the 

 latex they contain, which becomes so abundant in the cactiform 

 species of warm countries, often cultivated in our hothouses, such as 

 E. neriifolia^ canariensis,^ antiquorum^^^ grandidcm^^ virosa^'^ 

 ahymmca^"^ Caput-Mcdusw^'' mehformis^'^ glohom^^ friacideata,^'^ 

 candelabrum^^ ^ and officinariim}^ The production of the gum resin 

 of Euphorhia was for a long time attributed to the latter species, this 

 substance is yielded by the E. reHinifera-^ of Morocco, and consists 

 of a dry, yellowish, fi'iable, acrid, sternutatory juice, nearly as vesi- 

 cative as cantharides, and whose employment as a purgative is gene- 

 rally abandoned as too dangerous. The number of Euphorhiacecv 

 with irritant, poisonous latex, is considerable,"^ and this latex gene- 

 rally flows in abundance from incisions made in the trunk or branches. 

 The most celebrated are : the Manchineel,^- particularly common in 



{Petit 



637. 



1 L. Spec. C61.— Boiss. Prodi: n. 636. 

 Cypris, Rhubarbe des pamres.) 



^L. Spec. 660. — Boiss. Prodr. n. 

 {Grande- £jsule Embrunch^e.) 



'jAca. FL Austr. v. 17, t. 436. — Boiss. 

 Prodr. -a. 668.— (£. de Gerard.) 



* L. Spec. 658.— Boiss. Prodr. n. 639. {Riveil- 

 matin, Ombletle, Lnit de cotileuvre, etc.) 



5 L. Spec. 658.— Boiss. Prodr. n. 555.— X 

 peploides Griseb. {Petit Revcil-matiii.) 



^L. Spic. 656.— Boiss. Prodr. n. 587.— 

 Geen. et GoDR. Fl. de Fr. iii. 86 {a feiiUles de 

 Gciieorier), — F. miicrouata Lap. 



'SeeRosENTH. op.cit. 31 0-818. 



8 L. llort. Cliff. 196 (part.).— DC. PI. Gr. u. 

 t. 46. — Boiss. Prodr. n. 292. — Lujulttria,.. 

 RuMPH. Herb. Ainb. x. t, 40. 



9 L. Spec. 646.— Boiss. Prodr. n. 314. 



i» L. Mart. Cli.ff. 196.— Boiss. Prodr. n. 302.— 

 Schaclidiicalli Rheed. 



'1 Haw. in Phil. Mag. (1825), 33.— Boiss. 

 Prodr. n. 310. — E. arborescens hort. 



12 \V. Spee. 832.— Boiss. Prudr. 315. 



» KiEuscH. Kom. i?«(.— Boiss. Prodr. n. 318. 

 {Kolqnull. from Abyss, ex Bruce.) 



" L. Uort. CU.f. ii. 135.— LoDU. Bot. Cab. t. 

 1315.— Boiss. Prodr. n. 326. 



'' AiT. Hort. Kiw. ii. 135. — Boiss. Prodr. n. 

 332.— Andk. But. Rep. t. 617. 



'• Sims, in £ot. Mag. t. 2624.— Boiss. Prodr. 



n. 330. — Bactijlanthcs globosa Haw. 



'? FoESK. f/. ^<7.-^»-«4. 94.— Vahl, Symb. ii. 

 53.— Boiss. Prodr. n. 322. 



'^Tee.mx, ex Kl. A/lffem. Ueb. d. Nill, 13.— 

 Boiss. Prodr. n. 319. 



'5 L. Spce. 647.— Boiss. Prodr. n. 320. 



2" Berg et Schm. Sarsi. off. Gew. iy. t. 34 d. 

 — Coss. sur V Fvp/torbia resiiiifera, in Bull. Soe, 

 Eoij. Bot. Belg. x. 5. 



21 Above all are mentioned Euphorbia palas. 

 tris, pilosa, and ChamcB'i/ce in Europe, and in 

 America E. laiirifolia and biuifolia, which, are 

 powerfiJ purgatives ; in the East E. aleppica. 

 Desloxgchamps has praised E. Gerardiana 

 (note 3) as a vomitive. Among the cactiform 

 species E. neriifolia and caimrieiisis are men- 

 tioned as powerful deohstruents. All lactoous 

 species of Euphorbia have without doubt the 

 same properties. Theii' action is due to a vola- 

 tile principle, for warmth renders them inof- 

 fensive. Thus E. bahamifera, a violent purga- 

 tive, becomes when cooked, a tasteless aliment . 

 Camels eat E. Tinicullc cooked, which, when 

 raw, is a powerful poison. The species of 

 Pedilaiithus particularly P. tithymoloides, padi- 

 fo/ius, aiiynstifoliiis and Codiceum, are also very 

 active evacuants. 



2- Hippumanc Manciiiella L. Spec. 1431.— 

 Jacq. Amcr. 250, t. 159— Sw. Obs. 369.— Turp. 

 in Diet. Hist. Kat. Atl. t. 278.— A. Rich. Cuba, 



