92 



THE INDIANA WEED BOOK. 



smoothness or hairiness of stem and character of the surface of the 

 seeds. Several of them are annoying weeds, especially in lawns. 

 gardens and along walks. The milky juice of all spurges is said to 

 "corrode and ulcerate the body wherever applied." As the flower- 

 ing spurge is often gathered for decorations it is doubtless respon- 

 sible for many cases of skin poisoning. Coulter states that he has 

 a record of 23 such cases. 



53. ACALYPHA VIKGINICA L. Three- 

 seeded Mercury. Wax-ball 

 Copper-leaf. (A. N. 2.) 

 Erect or ascending. 3 inches to 2 

 feet high ; leaves dark green often 

 turning purple, ovate, long-stalked, 

 1-3 inches long, thin, coarsely cut- 

 toothed. Male and female flowers 

 separate but in the same axillary 

 cluster, the male or sta urinate ones 

 included in a large leaf-like 5-9-loled 

 bract ; the female ones at the base of 

 these. Seeds ovoid, reddish-gray, 

 1/16 inch long with lengthwise wavy 

 lines. (Fig. 58.) 



Common in low, moist, shaded 

 places and in rich or sandy soil, 



Fig. 58. Seed on left; staminate and pistillate especially about baiTlS and Ollt- 

 flower surrounded by large lobed bract on right. J 



(After Britton and Brown.) 



buildings. June-Oct. The 



are easly crushed between the fingers, hence the name wax-ball. 

 They are common in clover seed, from 

 which they are difficult to separate, 

 Remedies: pulling or cutting before 

 the seeds ripen ; thorough cultivation. 



54. EUPHORBIA MACULATA L. Spotted 

 Spurge. Milk Purslane. (A. N. 2.) 

 Stem more or less hairy, branched 

 from the base, the branch slender, pros- 

 trate, spreading, often dark red, 2-15 

 inches long ; leaves opposite, oblong, ob- 

 tuse. very oblique at base, short-stemmed, 

 usually with a brownish-red spot at cen- 

 ter. Involucre entire. Seeds ovate, 

 sharply 4-angled, 1/25 of an inch long. 

 ash-gray with four shallow grooves across 

 each side. (Figs. f>, <?; 51).) 



Fig. 59. Leaf and pistillate flower below; seeds 

 /-< i above. (After Britton and Brown.) 



Com men in waste places, espe- 

 cially along gravelly or sandy banks, sidewalks, roadsides, in gar- 



