EUPHORBIACEAE 



589 



Fig. 326. Croton (Croton Tiglium). Flowering and fruiting 

 branch. Tlie source of croton oil. (After Faguet.) 



glands and hairs covering the fruit of kamala (Mallotus philippinensis) a dye 

 is made. The fruit is also used as a vermifuge ; it contains rottlerin Cj^H^^Og 

 and isorottlerin. Many species of the genus are regarded as poisonous. Maiden 

 states that the B. Drummondii is poisonous to stock in New South Wales. It is 

 known as the milk plant and is especially troublesome to sheep. It causes the head 

 to swell to an enormous size so that the animal cannot support its head. 

 Suppuration frequently follows. B. alsinaeflora is also poisonous to sheep in 

 the same country. B. eremophila is another suspect in that country. B. 

 heptagona is an arrow poison. Some species of this genus are used as fish 

 poisons. . Emanations of B. characias at one time were supposed to cause 

 malarial fever which, however, was an erroneous assumption. Lehmann, a 

 German writer on poisonous plants lists the following species as poisonous : 

 B. Lathyris, B. Heliscopia, B. platyphylla, B. Bsula, B. Cyparissias, B. palustris, B. 

 Peplus, B. exigua. The B. antiquorum of the East Indies, B. canariensis of the Ca- 

 nary Islands, and B. Reinhardtii oi the Transvaal contain a milky acrid poisonous 

 juice.* The resin from Buphorbia produces sneezing, irritation of face and 

 skin, vomiting and diarrhoea and when used in large doses, death. Where the 

 drug is manufactured, workmen must protect themselves; but, even then, head- 

 ache, dizziness and weakness follow. To poisoning from members of the genus 

 Euphorbia, Friedberger and Frohner ascribe such symptoms as constipation, 

 severe and bloody diarrhoea, feeble pulse and tympanites. 



*BuIl. Misc. Inf. Roy. Card. Kew, 1908: 154. 



