1132 EUPHORBIA. [CLASS XXI. ORDER Tf. 
strong penetrating odour, which is so disliked by serpents, that they 
will not approach within its influence, and that a traveller is secure 
from their coming near him by carrying a portion of the plant with 
him. So powerful, indeed, is this juice, according to Jacquin, 
that a few drops of it introduced into the mouth of a serpent, produces 
akind of stupor or drunkenness; so much so that the reptile will 
allow itself to be handled with impunity, and if too large a dose is 
given it produces death. he same author further states that the 
juice of the plant applied to a wound from a serpent, or a decoction 
of the same taken internally, is an infallible cure. The flowers of 
some of the species are large and very splendid, and many of them 
very curious in their form. 
CLASS XXI. 
ORDER I. 
MONG:'CIA. 
(Stamens and pistils in separate flowers on the same plant ). 
MONAN'DRIA. 1 SraMENn. 
GENUS I. EUPHOR'BIA. Linn. Spurge. 
Nat. Ord. EurnHor'BIACER. Juss. 
GEN. Coar. Jnvolucre of one piece, five-cleft, surrounded with five 
alternating glands. ead of numerous barren flowers, (ten to 
twenty, or more, each a single stamen, without calyx or corolla), 
surrounding the fertile one, (a sin gle pistil, without calyx or corolla, 
elevated upon a pedical). Style three-cleft. Fruit hanging out 
of the involucrum, three celled, each cell bursting elastically at 
the back, cont»ining one, rarely two, suspended seeds.—Name 
from Huphorbus, a Physician to Juba, King of Mauritania, who 
is said to have brought the plant into use. 
1. AnisopHyttum. Roper. Leaves furnished with stipules. 
1. H. Pe'plis, Linn. (Fig. 1359.) Purple Spurge. Stem procum- 
bent, branched, smooth; leaves oblong, oblique, lobed on one side, 
entire, or toothed, opposite; stipules small; glands of the involuere 
with small membranous scales beneath; capsules smooth, of three 
keeled valves ; seeds obovate, angular, smooth, white. 
English Botany, t. 2002.—English Flora, vol. iv. p 62.—Hooker, 
British Flora, ed. 4. vol. i. p. 326.—Lindley, Synopsis, p. 220. 
Root long, fibrous, a smooth somewhat succulent plant, of a 
glaucous hue, mostly deeply tinged with purple. Stems procumbent, 
branched and spreading, four to eight inches long. Leaves opposite, 
neatly sessile, oblong, with a round lobe on one side, obliquely cut on 
the other, entire, or finely toothed towards the base. Stipules small, 
