EUPHOUBIAOEJB. 177 



GENEEA. 



I. EUPHOEBIACE^. 



1 Euphorbia L. — Flowers hermaplirodite or more rarely poly- 

 gamous ; calyx lobes of subcampanulate or sixbturbinate calyx 6 

 (rarely 4-8) membranous imbricated, alternating with the same 

 number of glands, sometimes outwardly accrescent with petaloid 

 appendage. Stamens oo, or rarely sub-definite, in series the same in 

 number as calyx lobes and opposite to them ; filaments in each series 

 2-seriate, very unequal, and more or less high, transversely articulate, 

 more or less outwardly adnate to perianth ; anthers 2-locular, rimose. 

 Glands oo, sometimes small or 0, often bractiform, ciliate-lacerate, 

 alternating with series of stamens. Germen central long stipulate ; 

 stipes generally elongated, recurved and incrassate below germen in 

 hypogynous disk, 3-6-lobed or entire, often 0. Cells 3, 1-ovulate ; 

 style afterwards divided into 2 -fid branches ; lobes stigmatiferous 

 at apex and inwardly j micropyle of descendent anatropous ovule, 

 extrorse superior, capped by piliform or sub-conical obturator 

 springing from placenta above ovule. Fruit capsular, usually 

 3-coccous ; cocci smooth or verrucose, solute from persistent central 

 columella, finally elastically 2-valved ; exocarp sometimes to maturity 

 subfleshy, finally dry. Seeds smooth, rugose, or tuberculate 

 fossulate ; testa crustaceous, outwardly clothed with thin coat, 

 carunculate, incrassate as an aril round exostome ; albumen fleshy, 

 oily, usually copious ; cotyledons of straight embryo linear, or more 

 or less ovate ; radicle terete superior. — -Herbaceous frutescent plants 

 or trees sometimes fleshy (cactiform) spinescent ; juice white, more 

 rarely yellow or hyaline ; leaves alternate or opposite, rarely verti- 

 cillate, equal at base, sometimes small or ; stipules lateral or ; 

 flowers in axillary or terminal cymes ; 2-5-parous, or more rarely 

 1-lateral, sometimes umbelliform or capituliform ; branches of inflo- 

 rescence and calyx sometimes bracteolate. [All regions.) See p. 105. 



VOL, V. 2 a 



