92 



THE INDIA ST A WEED BOOK. 



smoothness or hairiness of stem and character of the surface of the 

 seeds. Several of them are annoying weeds, especially in lawns, 

 gardens and along walks. The milky juice of all spurges is said to 

 ' ' corrode and ulcerate the body wherever applied. ' ' As the flower- 

 ing spurge is often gathered for decorations it- is doubtless respon- 

 sible for many cases of skin poisoning. Coulter states that he has 



a record of 23 such cases. 



53. Acalypha virgiimca Jj. Three- 



seeded Mercury. Wax-ball. 



Copper-leaf. (A. N. 2.) 

 Erect or ascending, 3 inches to 2 

 feet high; leaves dark green often 

 turning purple, ovate, long-stalked, 

 1-3 inches long, thin, coarsely cut- 

 toothed. Male and female flowers 

 steparate but in the same axillary 

 cluster, the male or staminate ones 

 included in a large leaf-like 5-9-lobed 

 bract ; the female ones at the base of 

 these. Seeds ovoid, reddish-gray, 

 1/16 inch long with lengthwise wavy 

 lines. (Fig. 58.) 



Common in low, moist, shaded 

 places and in rich or sandy soil, 



Fig. 58. Seed on left; staminate and pistillate especially about bams and OUt- 

 flower surrounded by large lobed bract on right. r •< 



(After Britton and Brown.) buildings. June— Oct. The seeds 



are easly crushed between the fingers, hence the name wax-ball. 

 They are common in clover seed, from 

 which they are difficult to separate. 

 Remedies: pulling or cutting before 

 the seeds ripen ; thorough cultivation. 



54. Euphorbia maculata L. Spotted 

 Spurge. Milk Purslane. (A. N. 2.) 

 Stein more or less hairy, branched 

 from the base, the branch slender, pros- 

 trate, spreading, often dark red, 2-15 

 i'nches long ; leaves opposite, oblong, ob- 

 tuse, very oblique at base, short-stemmed, 

 usually with a brownish-red spot at cen- 

 ter. Involucre entire. Seeds ovate, 

 sharply 4-angled, 1/25 of an inch long, 

 ash-gray with four shallow gi-ooves across 

 each side. (Figs. 6, e; 50.) 



Commcn in waste places, espe- 

 cially along gravelly or sandy banks, sidewalks, roadsides, in gar 



Fig. 59. Leaf and pistillate flower below; seeds 

 above. (After Britton and Brown.) 



