The 
BR Ti S He HUEAR BBA TA 
Dil Vals 1. O.Ne i 
1. Wood Spurge. 
Tithymalus characias amygdaloides: 
The root is compofed of a multitude of large 
fibres, which fpread every way. 
The ftalks are numerous and firm: they are 
thick, upright, and round, and have a redifh 
bark, and under that a green one: they are a yard 
‘high, and not branched, except where they fpread 
at the top for flowering. 
The leaves are large and numerous: they are 
long, narrow, and foft to the touch: they are 
_ of a deep green, and a little hairy at the upper 
fide ; and of a greyifh green, and more hairy un- 
derneath ; and their middle rib is red toward the 
bafe. 
The flowers are greenifh, fmall, and very nu- 
merous: they ftand at the top of the ftalks on 
fmall, divided branches, which fpread in a kind 
of umbel, and which have, at their infertions and 
divifions, fhorter leaves than thofe on the ftalk : 
the figure, and difpofition of the petals of the 
flower, form numerous crefcents; fo that the 
whole top in flower has a beautiful appear- 
ance. 
The whole plant is full of a cauftick, milky 
juice. 
It is frequent in woods and on heaths, and 
flowers in June. : 
C. Bauhine calls it Tithymalus characias amyg- 
daloides ; and almoft all who have written fince 
have copied him, 
2. Red French Spurge. 
Tithymalus characias rubefcens. 
The toot is long, thick, and divided into 
feveral parts, and furnifhed with many fibres. 
The ftalk is round, firm, red, upright, and 
three feet high, 
The leaves are long, narrow, and fharp-pointed: 
they have fhort footftalks, and are fmooth, of a 
dead green at firft, but afterwards red: they are 
of a hard, firm fubftance, and differ as much in 
that as colour from thofe of the preceding fpecies. 
Toward the top the ftalk divides into a vaft 
number of branches, on which ftand the flowers 
in a great umbel: they are fmall, very nume- 
rous, and of fo deep a purple that they appear 
black, 
The feed-veffel is very large: the whole plant, 
when it has {tood fome time, becomes red. 
It is common in France and Germany, and is 
of late. found to be a native of our countty. 
Dr. Plot mentions its being found wild in Staf- 
fordfhire; and Mr. Ray takes notice of the place, 
though he fufpected it to arife from feeds {cattered 
from a garden: it has fince been found on the 
mountains in the north of Ireland, 
It flowers in May, 
C. Bauhine calls it Tithymalus characias rubens 
peregrinus. ‘The generality of later authors call 
jt Tithymalus characias Monfpelienfium, from its |} 
frequency about that place. 
N° 15, 
BRITISH SPECIES, 
149 
3» Rough-fruited Spurge, 
. Tithymalus verrucofus. 
The root is compofed of a {mall head, and a 
numerous tuft of fibres, wa ‘ 
The ftalk is round, flende: i 
all branched, and a font pee Fane 
The leaves ftand irregularly, and are broad, 
fhort, fharp-pointed, fmooth, of a pale green, 
and not at all indented at the edges, 
The flowers ftand in a {mall tuft; or umbel, att 
the top of the plant; and they are little, and of 
a yellowifh green, j ; 
The feed veffel is roundith, large, and tough: 
it is more confpicuous than in moft of the other 
kinds, and has been fuppofed to refemble a wart: 
the feeds are large. 
It is found in the northern counties, but is not 
common. 
C.Bauhine calls: it Tithymalus myrfinites frufiu 
verrucae fimili, 
4. Sea Spurge. 
Tithymalus tharitinus, 
The root. is very long, and furnifhed with a 
few fibres. ‘ ; 
_ The ftalks are numerous, thick, round, and a 
foot and half high: they are perfeétly covered 
with the leaves; fo that the plant makes a very 
fingular appearance. ; 
The leaves are oblong, narrow, undivided at 
the edges, and pointed at the ends: they ftand 
upwards, and are placed, in the manner of {cales, 
one over another. 
The flowers ftand in a {mall umbel at the top 
of the plant, and are little and greenifh, =~ 
The feed-veffel is large; and the feeds are alfo 
large. 
The whole plant is perfectly fmooth, and of a 
bluifh green colour. : 
It is common on our fea-coafts, and flowers in 
June. : 
C.Bauhine calls it Lithymalus maritimus. J. 
Bauhine, Zithymalus paralius; and moft of the 
fucceeding authors have taken one or other of 
thefe names, é 
g. Knobby-rooted Spurge, 
Tithymalus radice craffa, 
The root is large, thick, and tuberous; of a 
brownith colour; with a tinét of red on the out- 
fide, and full of a milky juice. 
The ftalks are numerous, weak, round, of a 
pale green, and a foot high, 
The leaves are fhort, very numerous, and of 
a pale green: they are not at all indented, and 
“they terminate in a rounded end. 
The flowers are fmall and yellowith, and form 
a kind of umbel at the tops of the branches. 
The feed-veffel is large, as are alfo the feeds. 
It is frequent in the cornfields of Ireland; and 
flowers in Augutt. 
Merret calls it Tithymalus Hibernicus. 
Qgq 6. Broad 
