EUPirOHBlA — SPURGE. 241 



with glandular, scaly, or potaloid appendages. Stamens few or many, 

 sojiarate or united into one or more bundles. Ovary free, usually I3-cclled, 

 eaoli coll with a single or souietinies a pair of suspended ovules ; stigmas 

 or branches of the style as many or twice as many as the cells. Fruit usu- 

 .•illy a 3-lobed pod, the lobes or carjiels separating elastically fi'om a i)cr- 

 sistent axis ; seeds often arillate. 



In the tropics a very large and important order, containing many acrid 

 and poisonous plants. Represented in North America by only a few gen- 

 era, comprising a small number of medicinal species. 



EUPHORBIA. - Si'U KGB. 



Charadcr of Ihc dcnnx. — Flowers moneecious, colh^cted into heads, sur- 

 rounded by a 4- tx» 5-]<)bed involucre, which resembles a calyx or corolla. 

 Within the involucre an; a number of stamens surrounding a stalked 

 ovary, the whole resembling a single Howcr ; but as each stamen is jointed 

 on a pedicel, and proceeds from the axil of a bract, it is considered as a 

 separate flower, hence each involucre includes a number of staminate 

 flowers, each consisting of a single stamen, surrounding a solitary, stalked 

 jjistillate llower. Oviuy JMobinl, 3-celled ; styles .■{, each 2-cleft. Pod 

 3-lobed, si)litting .'lastically lato \\ one-seeded, 2-valved carjjels. 



A very large genus, represented in North America by numerous herba- 

 ceous species. All of them are characterized by a more or less acrid, milky 

 juice. 



Euphorbia corollata Linne. — Largo.-Fhuvnituj S/nnr/c 



y)('.svT/};//o//.— Stems several from a lurge branching root ; erect, nearly 

 simple, 2 to ;} feet high, glabi'ous or sometimes sparingh" hairy. Leaves 

 ovate, lanceolate, or linear, entire, obtuse, only the uppermost or Horal 

 ones whorled or opposite. Flowers in 5- to 7-rayed umbels, the rays 2- to 

 H-forked ; involucres white, petaloid, showy, on long peduncles. Pod 

 smooth, on a slender pe(lic(il. 



Ilahital. — In rich or sandy soil from New York to "Wisconsin and south- 

 ward. 



Euphorbia Ipecacuanhee Jimnb.—Tpecamianha Spimje, 



Des^cription. — Stems niunerous from a long, deep i)erennial i*oot, erect 

 or dilVusely spreading, 5 to 10 ini^hes high, branching dichotomously from 

 near the base. L(>aves obovate, oblong, or nai'rowly linear, nearly sessil(>, 

 glabrous, all or only the up[)er ones opposite. Peduncles axillary, elongated. 

 Involucre pet vloid, 4- to il-lobed, with the same number of obtuse glands. 

 I'od long-pedicelled, obtusely angled, nearly smooth. 



Habitat. — In sandy soil near the coast from New Yoi'k southward. 



Several other indigenous species of e'phorbia have been used medici- 

 nally, but those described above are believed to well represent the j^enua 

 as found in North America. 



