EUPHORBIACEAE 207 



India, Malaya and China. Although specimens seen from China 

 are more pubescent, it seems unnecessary to consider these as a variety 

 distinct from the Indian and Malayan trees.' 



EUPHORBIACEAE 



Herbs, shrubs, trees or rarely vines, with milky juice. Leaves usually 

 alternate, entire or toothed, rarely compound, with stipules. Flowers 

 small, unisexual, monoecious or dioecious; perianth simple, calyx-like, 

 often wanting; stamens few to many, free or connate; ovary free, usually 

 3 celled; ovules 1, or 2, then situated side by side in each cell. Fruit 

 usually a S-parted capsule separating from the central column or rarely 

 drupe-like or berry-like. Seeds albuminous. 



About 250 genera and over 4,000 species in all parts of the world, 

 but chiefly in the tropics. The family is of great economic importance. 

 A large number of species yield substances of use in arts, industries and 

 medicine; many have properties that are poisonous to man. 



KEY TO GENERA 



A. Ovules 2 in eecch cell; plant without milky juice or with red juice. 



I. Plant without milky juice ; leaves alternate, simple ; fruit a drupe 



Daphniphytlum. 



II. Plant with red juice; leaves alternate, trifoliate; fruit berry-like, 

 fleshy Bischofia. 



B. Ovules 1 in each cell. 



L Stamens incurved in the bud ; disk present ; plant without milky 

 juice'; fruit a capsule, obscurely 3 parted Croton. 



II. Stamens erect in the bud. 



a. Juice not milky; staminate flowers apetalous; anthers 2 

 celled ; leaves simple Mallolus. 



b. Juice milky. 



1. Flowers with petals; calyx valvate, leaves simple, 

 palmately veined Aleurites. 



2. Flowers apetalous; calyx lobes imbricate; staminate 

 calyx with connate sepals 1-3 lobed ; stamens free, 2-3 ; 

 seeds attached to a central column Sapium. 



