FAMILIES OF FLOWERING PLANTS 151 
Phyllanthus (leaf flower) is a large tropical genus, named from the 
circumstance that the flowers in some of its species are borne on leaf- 
like, flattened branches called phyllocladia. Though the genus con- 
tains over 400 species, none are of any economic importance. Many 
are weeds of waste places in the tropics. 
The genus Croton is represented in our country by numerous rank 
weeds in the South and West, often called goatweeds. The herbage in 
most of the species is covered with stellate hairs, giving the plants a 
silvery or even woolly appearance. The so-callod crotons of cultiva- 
tion belong tn an entirely different genus (Codiaewm). The most im- 
portant member of the genus is C. Tigliwm, native of the East Indian 
archipelago, the seeds of which yield croton oil, a powerful purgative. 
Many species possess tonic and aromatic properties, like the West In- 
dian C. Hluteria, from which cascarilla bark is obtained. C. bacciferum 
and C. Draco yield a resin used in varnish-making. 
The tribe Acalypheae includes a number of genera, Acalypha, the 
type, containing the now familiar “chenille plant” of cultivation, with 
long drooping crimson spikes of staminate flowers. The stringwood of 
the island of St. Helena, now known to be quite extinct, was A. rubra. 
Mallotus Philippinensis; a tree of the Polynesian and Philippine regions, 
bears capsules covered with a red powder, from which is obtained a 
brilliant orange dye well known in India by the name Kamala. The 
genus Tragia, with several American species, has stinging hairs like 
those of nettles, which the plants strongly resemble. The castor oil 
bean (Ricinus communis) is too familiar an object in cultivation to re- 
quire description. Its highly ornamental seeds are susceptible of a 
fine polish. 
In the tribe Jatropheae we have the genus Sissies several spe- 
cies of which yield medicinal oils, also Alewrites Moluccana, the candle- 
berry tree of the South Pacific islands. The seeds of this tree burn 
with great freedom on account of their large percentage of oil. They 
are also used as an article of food. 
To the native in South America, manioc or cassava is as important 
as wheat to the northerner, as it forms his staple diet. Various spe- 
cies of Manihot yield cassava, which is obtained by grinding or pound- 
ing the root after the poisonous juice which it contains has been ex- 
pelled by pressure. 
The tribe Hippomaneae contains the West Indian manchineel 
(Hippomane Mancinella) one of the most poisonous trees of the family; 
also the sandbox tree (Hura crepitans), the explosive property of whose 
fruits has been so often described. 
Finally, there is the genus Huphorbia, the type of the family, em- 
bracing about 600 species, distributed in all parts of the world. They 
