EUPHORBIAOEM. 161 



Moreover, if we take account of the number of species proper to 

 America for the genera it has in common with the old world, we 

 calculate that it possesses altogether eighteen hundi-ed and twenty- 

 two species of Euphorhiacece, the foiir hundred and fifty others 

 belonging to the old world. Everywhere, moreover, we find the 

 species are not in great number except in the warmest regions, 

 there being no exception but the genus Euphorhia. The family of 

 Euphorbiacecv represents very nearly, according to most calculations, 

 the fortieth part of the Phanerogamia, distributed over the globe. 

 Europe is the poorest in genera of the five parts of the world, only 

 possessing five (besides the Callitriche), and even three of these, 

 TournesoUa^ Andrachne^ and Seciirincga, are only represented by a 

 single species, and the genus 3Icrciirialis by four or five. The Aus- 

 tralian genera are fi-eqiiently remarkable for a peculiar aspect and 

 foliage ; by their linear ericoid leaves, answering to the embryo with 

 narrow and semi-cylindrical cotyledons ; to this country belong all 

 the genera with ' ' stenolobate " embryos. There are besides in this 

 group, as in many others, a certain number of ubiquitous plants 

 which have followed man in his migrations, either on account of their 

 utility, or because the seeds arc mixed with those of the crops. Such 

 are Euphorbia Lathyris, Peplus,, Helioscopia^ our annual Mercurlalis^ 

 and, in warm countries only, for they cannot support a rigorous 

 climate, several species of Plijjllanthus and Acali/pha, which, like 

 certain species of Urtica, have become what are called, not without 

 reason, " the bad herbs of tropical regions ".^ 



The most active Euphorbiacese owe their properties - to the latex 

 or to the oily and resinous substances contained in the seeds.^ 

 Amongst these last, must principally be mentioned Euphorhia, 

 Ricinus, Jatropha, and Pignon iVImk (Fr.) The ancients fre- 

 quently employed, as évacuants, the seeds of Euphorhia Lathyris^ 



' On the questions of detail touching the Fl. Diaphor. 807-841, 1154. 



geographical distrihution, see Endl. Eiicliirid. ' These seeds are, in the useful species, pro- 



689. — LiNDL. Veg. Kingd. 276. — H. Bn. Et. vided with albumen and an embryo. The 



Gelt. Etiphorbiac. 242. — A. DC. Géogr. Bot. opinion (wliich must be abandoned), was for- 



Rais. 328, 685, 700, 707, 753, 759, 1045, 1281, merly everywhere professed that the principles 



etc. contained in the latter are completely different 



2 Endl. Enchirid. 590. — Lindl. Veg. Kingd. from those of the others, more acrid, more veno- 



276. — A. Juss. Euphorb. 73. — GuiB. Drag. mous. 



Simpl. éd. 6, ii, 336-368.— Pereira, Eli-m. * Euphorbia Lathyris L. Spec. 655. — DO. 



Mat. Med. ed. 4, ii. p. i. 399.— Rosenth. Syn. Ft. Fr. iii. 333.— Gren. et Godr. Fl. de Fr 



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