ySPURGE FAMILY. 295 



E. obtusita. Native W. & S : like preceding, but taller, 10-2° high; 

 stem-leaves oblong-spatulate and obtuse, the upper heart-shaped ; floral ones 

 dilated-ovate ; umbel once or twice 3-rayed, then 2-rayed ; glands of flower-cup 

 short-stalked ; pods long-warty. 



E. diotyosp6rina. Open ground S. W. Resembles the preceding, but 

 slender ; leaves obtusely serrate ; glands small, almost sessile ; seeds delicately 

 reticulated. 



E. Heliosc6pia. Weed from Europe in waste places N. ; with stouter 

 ascending stems 6'- 12' high; leaves all obovate and rounded or notched at the 

 end, the lower wedge-shaped, finely serrate ; umbel first with 5, then 3, and at 

 length with 2 rays ; glands orbicular and stalked ; pods smooth and even ; 

 seeds with honeycomb-like surface. 



++ ++ Glands of the Jlower-cup with. ,2 long horns : pod smooth : seeds sculptured 

 or pitted and pale. ® ® 



E. P6plus. Waste places, from Eu. : stem erect ; leaves petioled, entire, 

 round-obovate, the upper floral ones ovate ; umbel first 3-rayed, afterwards 

 2-forked ; pod 2-crested on each lobe. 



E. commut^ta. Wild from Wisconsin and Virginia S. W., on shady 

 slopes : stems with decumbent base ; leaves obovate, the upper sessile, the 

 rounded floral ones broader than long ; umbel 3-forked ; pod crestless : fl^early 

 summer. 



<-!•++«• Glands crescent-shaped : pod granular ; seeds smooth, dark-colored, y, 



E. Cyparissias, Cypress Spurge. Gardens frorn Eu. and running 

 wild E. : in dense clusters 6'- 10' high, smooth ; stem and branches crowded 

 with small linear entire leaves, the floral ones small and rounded heart-shaped ; 

 umbel many-rayed. . -■ 



■1- -I- Leaves all or chiefly opposite; entire, smooth, almost sessile : pod smooth. 



E. Ipecacuanhse, Ipecac Spttrge. Sandy soil from New York S. : 

 branching repeatedly from the long perpendicular root, widely spreading ; 

 leaves barely 1' long, varying from obovate to linear ; peduncles solitary in the 

 forks, slender ; flower-cup dull purple, with 5 glands. 11 



E. Latbyris, Caper Spurge. Cult, from Eu. in country gardens : glau- 

 cous ; stem erect, stout, 2° - 3° high ; leaves thick ; those of the stem lance- 

 linear, floral ones oblong-ovate and heart-shaped ; umbel 4-rayed, then forking ; 

 glands short-homed. @ ^ 



2. STILLINGIA. {l^nmeii. for Dr. B. Stillingfleet.) Very smooth plants, 

 only S. . flowering all summer. 



S. sylvatiea, Queen's Delight. Dry soil from Virginia S : herbl°- 

 3° hig]\, clustered from a woody root ; leaves crowded, almost sessile, varying 

 from obovate to lance-linear, serrulate ; stamens 2. 



S. ligustrina. Eivcr-swamps from N. Carolina S. : shi-ub 6° -12° high; 

 leaves lance-ohovate or oblong, entire ; spikes short ; stamens mostly 3. 



S. seblfera. Tallow-tree of China, planted South Carolina & S. : tree 

 20° -40° high; leaves rhombic-ovate, entire, long-petioled ; stamens 2 ; seeds 

 white, yielding a useful vegetable tallow or wax. 



3. ACALYPHA. (Ancient Greek name of iVeftfe.) Flowering through 

 lat; summer and autumn. 



A. Virginica. A most common, coarse, low weed in fields, &c : smoothish 

 or hairy, turning purplish, with leaves varying from ovate to linear, fertile 

 flowers in short clusters ; pod and seed smoothish. ® 



A. Carolini&,na. Cult, gi-ound, chiefly S. : has thin heart-shaped closely 

 serrate leaves, mostly a long terminal fertile spike, pods beset with soft pricklej, 

 and seeds rough-wrinkled. ® 



4. RtciNUS, PALMA-CHRISTI, CASTOR-OIL PLANT. (Latin 

 name of a bug, which the seed resemblefe. ) 



R. eommimis, the only species, but of many varieties, native probably of 

 Africa : a sort of tree, but cult, in temperate climates as a stately annual, for hs 



