110 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



already existed in a soft state below the surface of th.e ovary. 

 It opens elastically into six panels, and allows three seeds to escape,^ 

 (fig. 160, 161), whose coat is spotted, the exostome being thickened 

 into a snbglobular umbilicate bilobed caruncle. The embryo and 



Eioiims communis. 



Fig. 153. Habit (^V) ■ 



oily albumen are analogous to those of Euphorhia. Several species 

 of Ricinus have been described ; . but there is really only one very 



communis 



varied in form, R. 



now naturalized in all warm countries. It there becomes arborescent. 



a native, it is said, 



of India, and 



' See A. Gk. in Ann. So. Nat. ser. 4. xvii. 

 312. 



2 L. Spec. ed. 1, 1007.— M. Aeg. Frodr. 1017. 

 — A. africamis Mill. — R. americanus Hort. — iJ. 

 armalns Ande. — iJ. badius Eeichb. — R digita- , 

 tus N OK. ■ — R. eurofaus Nees. — M. glaucas 

 HoppMSG. — R. hyhidtts ^Ef-s. — iJ. incrmi's J Aca. 



— R. Erappa Steud. — E. Itcvis DC. — R. Iciico- 

 carpus Bertol. — R. lividm Jaco.— -R. macrocar- 

 pus Stetid.— iJ. medieus Foksk. — R. megalos- 

 permus Steud.— ? R. paniculatua Link.— 2J. 

 pcrenms hort. — R. puipwasceiis Bertol.— JS. 

 riigoiws Mill.— -R. rutilam Desf. — R. san- 

 guineus hort. — R. scaber Beutol. — R. sjieciosus 



