489 CXXI. EUPHORBIACE^E. CROTON. 



16. E. PUNICEA. Scarlet or Splendid Euphorbia. St. suffruticose, fleshy, armed 

 with rigid, sharj thorns ; Ivs. ovate, tapering to the base, glabrous, entire, acute, 

 mucronate ; ped. axillary, 2 or 3 times dichotomous ; involucrate bracts scarlet. 

 A singular and showy garden plant. 



2. ACALYPHA. 



The Greek name for the nettle, which this plant resembles. 



Fls. <?. c? Calyx 3 4-parted; sta. 8 16, united at base. 9 

 Calyx 3-parted, segments connivent, persistent; styles 3, elongated, 

 2 3-parted; caps. 3-celled, cells 1-seeded. Herbaceous sr shrubby 

 Lvs. alternate. 



A. VIRGINICA. TJiree-seeded Mercury. 



Pubescent, branched; Ivs. petiolate, oblong-lanceolate, serrate ; invol. of 

 the fertile flowers cordate, broad-ovate, acuminate, veined and toothed. (p In 

 dry and gravely soils, U. S. and Can., rare in N. Eng. Stem erect or ascend- 

 ing at base, 10 18' high. Leaves 3-veined, 1 2i' long, as wide, hairy, ob- 

 lusish. Pistillate flower at the base of the peduncle of the staminate spike, 

 involucrum of the fruit axillary, on a short stalk, shorter than the leaves, its 

 margin cut half way down into long, acute segments. Aug. 



/?. (A. Caroliniana. Wall.) Las. rhombic-ovate, on long petioles. Penn. 

 to Ind. ! 



3. RIClNUS. 



Lat. ricinus, an insect, which the fruit of these plants resemble. 



Flowers <? . cT Calyx 5-parted ; sta. many. 9 Calyx 3-parted ; 

 sty. 3, 2-cleft ; caps, echinate, 3-celled, 3-seeded. Herbs and shrubs 

 with peltate, palmate Ivs. 



R. COMMUNIS. '^Ga^jgjZ.^eaw. Palma Christi. St. frosted or glaucous, 

 white, herbaceous ; Lvs? peltate, palmate, lobes lanceolate, serrate ; caps, prick- 

 ly. Native of the E. Indies, where it becomes a tree, although an herbaceous 

 annual with us. In our gardens it is a tall, smooth plant of a light bluish- 

 green color. Leaves 4 12" diam., on long petioles. From its seeds is ex- 

 pressed the well known castor oil of the shops. For this purpose it is exten- 

 sively cultivated in the U. S. July, Aug. 



4. CROTONOPSIS. Michx. 



Named from its resemblance (ot//tf) to the next genus below. 



Flowers c?. & Calyx 5-parted; cor. of 5 petals; stamens 5. 9 

 Calyx 5-parted ; cor. ; stig. 3, twice bifid ; caps. 1-seeded, indehis- 

 cent. CD Lvs. alternate, stellately pubescent and shining. Fls. aggre- 

 gate, the upper ones sterile. 



C. LINEARIS. Michx. 



St. erect, dichotomously branched ; Ivs. clothed with a stellate pubescence 

 above, with hairs and shining scales beneath. In the sandy swamps of N. J. 

 to Car. and 111. Nuttall. Stem 12 18' high, and like the leaves sprinkled with 

 silvery, shining scales. Leaves on short petioles, linear-lanceolate or lance- 

 ovate. Flowers very minute, in terminal and axillary spikes. June. 



5. CROTON. 



A Greek name, synonymous with the Lat. ricinus. See genus No. 3. 



Flowers . c? Calyx cylindrical, 5-toothed ; cor. of 5 petals or ; 

 sta. 10 15. 9 Calyx 5 many-sepaled ; cor. 0; styles 3 or 6, bi- 

 fid ; capsule of 3, coherent, 1-seeded carpels. A large genus, mostly 

 tropical, and inconspicuous weeds. 



1. C. CAPITATUM. Michx. 



/SV-. woolly, tornentose; Ivs oval-oblong, obtuse, rounded and entire at the 

 base, clothed with soft tomentnm on both surfaces; fertile fls. at the base of the 



