(or anthodia surrounding the capitula) are fleshy, urceolate, deep 
crimson, pubescent, hairy within, and bear from 5 to 6 bright yellow 
oval cup-shaped glands onthe margin. Staminiferous flowers 12 to 15 
in each capitulum, each composed of a single stamen, jointed on a 
small pedicel. Pistilliferous flower solitary in each capitulum; the 
ovarium globose greenish, on a pedicel which becomes longer than the 
involucrum, inclines to one side, and curves downwards, the style 
short reddish, branching into 3 obtuse black stigmata; at the base of 
the floral pedicel are numerous filamentous bracts. CapsuLes smooth, 
roundish, of the size of a small cherry: seeds smooth, brown. 
PopuLar anp GeocrapHicaL Notice. This handsome'species 
of Euphorbia, is a native of Jamaica, growing among stones on 
mountains in the interior. An acrimonious juice is found in this spe- 
cies, and in almost all euphorbiaceous plants; yet it is strange, as re- 
marked by Dr. Lindley, that from such plants should be obtained 
caoutchouc, a most innocuous substance. But what appears still more 
extraordinary is the fact, that silk is not improbably a modification of 
the caoutchouc of these plants, elaborated by the silk-worms, which it 
has been maintained feed exclusively on milky-juiced and caoutchouc- 
yielding plants. Such at least seems to be the legitimate inference 
from the extensive Speier of Dr. Royle, whose statement we 
subjoin. 
“In a paper read to the British Association, at Bristol, on the 
plants which yielded caoutchouc, “I observed that they all belonged to 
the milky-juice families of Cichoracere, Lobeliacee, Apocynacee, As- 
clepiadacee, Euphorbiacee, and Artocarpez, a tribe of Urticacee. In 
the first place it may be observed that many of the plants of these 
families are remarkable for the strength and tenacity of the fibre 
they yield for rope-making: secondly, that bird-lime is prepared from 
plants belonging to families which yield caoutchouc, as from the 
apocyneous Voacanga in Madagascar; and in India, from different 
species of Ficus and Artocarpus. But the most interesting fact which 
I obtained from the investigation, was one most unexpected, and the 
least connected with the subject. Having been previously employed 
in considering the proper means for extending the cultivation of silk - 
in India; it struck me as singular, that so many of the plants which 
silk-worms prefer, next to the mulberry leaf, should be found in those 
families which yield caoutchouc. Thus, in England, the lettuce and 
dandelion leaves, belonging to Cichoracz, and in India, Ficus religio- 
sa, belonging to Artocarpez, have been ascertained to be the best sub- 
