MONOECIA MONANDRIA. Euphorbia. 261 



Woods, thickets, ruins of nunneries, and abbies. Near the walls of 

 Godstow Nunnery. Sb. On the mound, south and west of 

 Godstow Nunnery. Sept. 1832. /. H. Near Kencott. Rev. 

 Dr. Goodenougli. Garden ground, at Sir Alexander Croke's, 

 Studley Priory. R. \Y. 1832. 

 Per. July. 



Stems nearly two feet, round, erect, slightly furrowed, zigzag. Ls. 

 alternate, stalked, entire, the side nerves branching in a pedate 

 manner. Fl. axillary, on shortish stalks, pale yellow. Cal. of 

 one leaf, globose at the base with six furrows, then funnel- 

 shaped, ending in a tongue-like figure. Stamens very short and 

 thick, grow out of the style. It rarely ripens its fruit, (in fine 

 fruit at the Oxford Potanic Garden, 1832. B.v.) except by the 

 assistance of some small insect, Tipula pennicornis, which enters 

 the flower, and being imprisoned there, brushes the pollen about 

 the stigma. This insect observed within the globular base of 

 the flower by Mr. Baxter, Oxford, several times. Purtons Fl. 

 See Sm. Introd. to Botany, pp. 256, 257. edit. 3. 

 An abbey plant; among those formerly cultivated in their 

 gardens. 



Roots bitter, acrid, emmenagogue ; violently emetic. An in- 

 gredient in the once celebrated Portland Powder for gout, now de- 

 servedly exploded : the long continued use of bitters very injurious 

 to the stomach. See Cullen Mat. Med. Leaves smell like tinc- 

 ture of Opium, (Laudanum.) 



Class XXI. MONOECIA. Stamens and 

 Pistils in separate flowers, on the same plant. 



Order I. MONANDRIA. Stamen 1. 



EUPHORBIA.' Spurge. 



What in this genus was formerly considered as a single flower, 

 is now denominated an involucre including one central, pistil-bear- 

 ing flower without anthers, and several anther -b earing , monandrous 

 ones : each stamen is in itself considered as an imperfect flower. 

 The number of the stamens is inconstant. Best specific characters 

 from the shape of the nect.-leaves, and involucres : number of rays 

 in the umbel, variable. H. 



* Umbel of three branches. 



E. Peplus. Petty S. JVart-wort. Umbel mostly 

 three-branched, repeatedly forked. Bracteas ^gg- 



' So called from Euphorbus, physician to King Juba. Pl'in. 25. 7. 



