456 THE SPUEGE rAMILT. 



LXVII. THE SPITRGE FAMILY* EUPHOEBIACE^. 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees, much varied iu foliage and inflores- 

 cence, riowers always unisexual, with or without a perianth. 

 Stamens various. Ovary consisting of 3 (rarely 2 or more than 

 3) united carpels, each with 1 or 2 pendulous ovules. Styles as 

 many as carpels, entire or divided. In the fruit these carpels 

 separate from each other and from a persistent axis, and 

 usually open wdth elasticity in two valves. Seed with a large 

 embryo in fleshy albumen. 



A vast family, chiefly tropical, so varied in aspect that no general idea 

 can be formed of it from the three genera which represent it in Britain, nor 

 is the connection between these three genera easily understood without a 

 comparison with intermediate exotic forms. The structure of the ovary and 

 fruit is peculiar to this family amongst unisexual plants. 



Several male flowers (looking like single stamens) and one stalked OTary 

 collected in a small involucre, which has the appearance of a cup- 

 shaped perianth 1. Spubgb. 



Male and female flowers distinct. 



Herbs, with thin leaves 2. Mbechbt. 



Shrubs, with shining, evergreen leaves 3. Box. 



The Poinsettia of our hothouses, remarkable for its brilUant red bracts, 

 belongs to this family, but generally speaking the tropical UupAorbiacecB are 

 not ornamental enough for cultivation. 



I. SPURGE. EUPHORBIA. 



The European species are herbs, abounding in milky juice ; the lower part 

 of the stems simple, with alternate leaves (except in the caper S.). Flower- 

 ing branches or peduncles axillary, the upper ones in a terminal umbel of 

 2 to 5 or more rays, each ray or axillary peduncle usually several times 

 forked, with a pair of opposite floral leaves at each fork, and a small green, 

 apparent flower, really a head of flowers, between the branches These _/?OOTer- 

 heads consist of a small, cup-shaped involucre (looking Uke a perianth), with 4 

 or 5 very small teeth, alternating with as many horizontal yellowish or brown 

 glands. Within are 10 to 15 stamens, each with a jointed filament, and a 

 minute scale at its base, showing that they are each a distinct male flower. 

 In the centre is a single female flower, consisting of a 3-celled ovary, sup- 

 ported on a stalk projecting from the involucre and curved downwards. 

 Style 3-cleft. Fruit of 3 carpels, each with a single seed. 



A very large genus, extending almost over every part of the globe, iu- 

 cluding many shrubby species in the tropics, or large, leafless, succulent ones 

 in southern Africa. 



Prostrate plant, with all the leaves at the time of flowering floral and 



opposite, with minute stipules 1. Furple S. 



* In the enumeration of Pamilies (above, p. 51) this is entered as the Ettphorb family, 

 an anglicizing of the Latin name which had been suggested to me. On further consider- 

 ation It has appeared to me to be unnecessary, but I omitted to make the alteratiGn before 

 sending to press. 



