462 



EUPHORBIACEAE. 



Vol. II. 



II. CNIDOSCOLUS Pohl, PI. Bras. 1 : 56. /)Z. ^p. 1827. 



Monoecious or rarely dioecious perennial stinging bristly herbs, or shrubs, with entire, 

 lobed or divided petioled leaves, the flowers in cymes. Flowers apetalous. Staminate flowers 

 on the upper parts of the cymes, with a corolla-like S-lobed calyx, the stamens usually 

 numerous (10 or more) and in several series, their filaments mostly united at the base. 

 Pistillate flowers in the lower forks of the cymes; ovary mostly 3-celled and 3-ovuled ; styles 

 united at the base; capsule ovoid or subglobose, easily separating into 2-valved carpels; seeds 

 ovoid or obovoid; embryo straight; endosperm fleshy. [Greek, stinging spine.] 



About 20 species, widely distributed in warm and tropical America. Besides the following 

 another occurs in the Southern States. Type species: Cnidoscolus hamosus Pohl. 



I. Cnidoscolus stimulosus (Michx.) 



Engelm. & Gray. Spurge Nettle. 



Tread-softly. Fig. 2731. 



Jatropha stimiilosa Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 216. 

 1803. 



Cnidoscolus stitmilosiis Engelm. & Gray, Bost. 

 Journ. Nat. Hist. 5 : 234. 1845. 



Jatropha uretis var. stimulosa Muell. Arg. in DC. 

 Prodr. 15: Part. 2, iioi. 1862. 



Perennial by a stout root, herbaceous, bright 

 green, armed with stinging hairs. Sl;em rather 

 slender, erect, simple or branched, 4-31° tall ; 

 leaves nearly orbicular in outline, 2V-12' 

 broad, tr,uncate or cordate at the base, deeply 

 3-5-lobed, the lobes entire, toothed or pinna- 

 tifid; calyx of the staminate flowers salver- 

 form, white or pink, io"-2o" broad ; capsule 

 oblong, 5"-8" long, papillose, wrinkled; seeds 

 oblong-obovoid, $"-6" long, smooth, mottled. 



In dry sandy soil, Virginia to Florida and Texas. 

 Sand-nettle. Stinging-bush. March-Aug. 



12. CHAMAESYCE S. F. Gray, Nat. Arr. Brit. PI. 2: 260. 1821. 



Annual or perennial herbs, or shrubs. Stems often radially branched at the base, the 

 branches ascending or prostrate, sometimes creeping, forking. Leaves opposite, entire or 

 toothed, more or less oblique at the base ; stipules delicate, entire or fringed. Involucres 

 solitary in the axils or in axillary cymes ; glands 4, sessile or stalked, naked or usually with 

 an appendage, one sinus of each involucre glandless. Capsule smooth, sometimes pubescent, 

 the angles sharp or rounded. Seeds angled, with minute caruncles, white or black, the faces 

 smooth or transversely wrinkled. [Greek, ground-fig.] 



About 225 species, widely distributed in temperate and tropical regions. 

 Chamaesyce maritima S. F. Gray. 



Type species : 



This genus and the following ones of the family were all included in Euphorbia in our first 

 edition, but the true Euphorbias are African, nearly or quite leafless tall and stout plants, very 

 different from any of ours. 



t Leaves entire ; seeds smooth. 

 Plants branched at the base, the branches prostrate. 



Seeds I J^" long. i. C. polygonifoKa. 



Seeds j4"-M"long. 



Leaves usually more than twice as long as broad ; seeds nearly terete. 



long. 



2. C. Geyeri, 

 Leaves usually less than twice as long as broad; seeds obtusely 4-angled, ^" long. 



3. C. serpens. 

 Plants with an erect or ascending stem, branched above, branches ascending. 



Seeds nearly terete, i" long; leaves usually flat and straight. 



Seeds 4-angled, J4" long; leaves often involute and curved. 

 %t Leaves entire ; seeds variously roughened. 

 Plants glabrous. 6. C. Fendleri. 



Plants canescent. 7. C. lata. 



4. C. petaloidea. 



5. C. cygophylloides. 



