CLASS XXI, ORDER I.] EUPHORBIA. 1139 
a 4 ‘ 
~finear, entire, smooth, obtuse or pointed, sessile; umbel of numerous 
principal branches, bifid, and several scattered peduncles from the 
axis of the upper leaves; glands of involucre lunate, two horned ; 
capsules smooth or rough, with elevated points; seeds obovate, 
smooth ; bractea sub-triangular, ovate, or transversely ovate, acumi- 
nated, with a bristle point. 
English Botany, t. 840.—English Flora, vol. iv. p. 66.—Hooker, 
British Flora, ed. 4. vol. i. p. 8327.—Lindley, Synopsis, p. 221. 
Root woody, with long creeping branches, the whole plant smooth, 
of a pale somewhat glaucous green. Stems several, erect, about two 
feet high, round, leafy, and with several lateral mostly barren 
branches from the upper part of the stem, which rise above the 
umbel. Jeaves scattered, linear, entire, sessile, obtuse, or acutely 
pointed, narrower, and more numerous on the branches. Umbel of 
numerous slender smooth principal branches, bifid, and with several 
often numerous peduncles from the axis of the upper leaves. 
Bractea mostly yellowish green, sub-triangular ovate, or transversely 
oyate, with an acute or obtuse point, terminating in a short bristly 
point. Jnvolucre bell-shaped, smooth, with four lunate two horned 
glands, of a yellowish colour, becoming tawny. Capsules globose 
when young, roughish, with numerous elevated points, becoming 
smooth. Seeds obovate, smooth, white, or greyish brown. 
Habitat.—W oods; Staffordshire, Bedfordshire, and Northumber- 
land. 
Perennial; flowering in June and July. 
The linear leaves and long barren branches overtopping the umbels 
readily point out this plant. The bracteas become a fine scarlet 
after flowering, and look extremely pretty. It is doubtful if either 
this or #. Hsula are more than naturalized plants; they are both 
frequent on the Continent, and have probably been hence introduced. 
This, as well as #. corollata, are possessed of emetic and purgative 
properties, and not so acrid as some other of the species; they are 
used in North America in dropsical affections, and it is reported by 
Drs. Kean and Coxe, with considerable success: the dose is from 
eight to twenty grains of the powdered root, which produces copious 
evacuations. It, however, requires considerable care in |the adminis. 
tration. When the plant is eaten in any quantity by sheep and other 
animals, it is poisonous; but when in only a moderate proportion 
with the food, its effects will be obviously that of a stimulant to the 
digestive organs, and in many cases useful to the cattle. Many 
other of the species of this genus are used in various affections. ‘The 
E opthalmica, a native of South America, is used by the natives in 
Rio Janeiro, by dropping the expressed juice into the eye in cases of 
opthalmia. The #. dulcis and Z. edulis are less acrid than many of 
the other species; and in Cochin China the leaves of the latter are 
dressed and mixed with other green vegetables as a salad. 
Tw 
