150 FAMILIES OF FLOWERING PLANTS 
their flowers; there are 5 sepals, the two lateral ones much larger than 
the others, often brightly colored, and known as wings; the petals are 
3 or 5, somewhat united at their bases, the lowermost one often crested; 
stamens 8, monadelphous or diadelphous (united in one or two sets); 
ovary 2-celled, capsular in fruit, the seeds with a wart or protuberance 
called a caruncle. The flowers vary greatly in color and in the mode 
of arrangement, being white, yellow or purple, borne in close heads, in 
spikes, racemes or cymes, the latter a spreading, flat-topped form of 
inflorescence. 
In the northern States the milkworts are mostly small, inconspic- 
uous plants, an exception being noted, however, in the case of the beau- 
Al tiful little fringed polygala (P. paucifolia), often 
Pf known as flowering wintergreen. This has leaves 
’ ft A like the true wintergreen, with rose-purple, beau- 
MIRN  tifully fringed flowers. It also produces subter- 
ranean flowers without petals, and these yield 
most of the fruits. In the South, particularly 
throughout the pine barrens, the milkworts are 
among the most conspicuous of the flowering 
plants, large masses of various species being con- 
stantly met with. Among the more handsome 
forms should be noted the various yellow flowered 
species (P. cymosa, P. ramosa, and P. lutea), and 
the large purple flowered P. grandiflora (see Fig. 
130). 
Family Dichapetalaceae. Dichapetalum Fam- 
ily. Consists of 3 genera and about 80 species, 
widely distributed in the tropics, and particularly 
Fig. 130. Large-flowered abundant in Africa and Madagascar. They are 
milkwort (Polygala grandi- . Cane . 
fora), one-half natural size. trees or shrubs with small flowers, similar in gen- 
Original. eral structure to those of the following family. 
Family Euphorbiaceae. Spurge Family. Contains about 210 gen- 
era and 4000 species, of wide distribution. They are herbs, shrubs or 
trees; with monoecious or dioecious flowers, and an acid, often milky, 
and frequently poisonous juice. The flowers are usually without pet- 
als, and sometimes, as in Huphorbia, without a calyx, the latter being 
replaced by an involucre or whorl of leaves resembling a calyx. The 
stamens vary greatly among the different genera; the ovary is usually 
3-celled, with 8 styles, and the fruit a 3-lobed capsule; the latter gen- 
erally serves as an easy means of identifying any member of the family. 
The Euphorbiaceae are of interest in many ways; and following 
the practice previously adopted in these pages, we shall discuss the 
important genera in the order of their tribal relationship. 
