DICOTYLEDONBS— MONOCHLAMYDB^ 249 



often carunculate ; embryo straight, in fleshy albumen, with 

 flattened cotyledons, and a superior radicle. 



Diagnosis. — Herbs, shrubs, or trees, commonly with an 

 acrid milky juice. Flowers unisexual, monoecious or dioecious. 

 Calyx absent, or present and inferior. Petals rarely present. 

 Male flowers with one or more stamens, distinct or united, and 

 2-celled anthers. Female flowers with a superior, sessile or 

 stalked, 1- or more-celled ovary, and with 1 or 2 suspended 

 ovules in each cell. Fruit of 1, 2, 3, or many dry carpels, 

 which separate from the axis and from each other, and usually 

 open with elasticity ; or fleshy and indehiscent. Seeds sus- 

 pended; embryo in fleshy albumen, straight, with flattened 

 cotyledons, and a superior radicle. 



Distribution cmd, Numbers. — They are more or less distri- 

 buted over the globe, and are especially abundant in equinoctial 

 Anaerica. Illustrative Genera : — Euphorbia, Linn. ; Mercurialis, 

 Linn. ; Ricinus, Tourn. ; Buxus, Tourn. There are above 

 2,500 species. 



Properties and Uses. — These plants generally contain an 

 acrid poisonous principle or principles, which is found more or 

 less in all their parts. Some are very deadly poisons. But in 

 proper doses many are used medicinally as emetics, purgatives, 

 diuretics, or rubefacients. A pure starch, which is largely em- 

 ployed for food, may be obtained from some plants of the order, 

 while india-rubber may be procured from the luOiy juice of 

 others. A few are entirely devoid of any acrid or poisonous 

 principle, and are used medicinally as aromatic tonics. Some 

 have edible roots ; others yield dyeing agents ; and several are 

 valuable on account of their wood. 



Order 30. SoepacejE, the Scepa Order. — Diagnosis. — This 

 order is closely allied to Euphorbiaeese, in which it is included 

 by Bentham and HooTcer, but from which it is readily distin- 

 guished by its flowers being amentaceous. 



Distribution, Numbers, amd Properties. — Natives of the East 

 Indies. There are 6 species; The wood of Scepa {Lepidostachys) 

 Boxhurghii is called Cocus or Kokra. It is very hard, and is 

 chiefly employed for flutes and similar musical instruments. 



Order 31. StilaginacEjE, the Stilago Order. — Character. 

 — Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, simple, leathery, with 

 decidiious stipules. Flowers minute, unisexual, in scaly spikes. 

 Calyx 2 — 5-partite. Male flowers consisting of 2 or more 

 stamens on an enlarged thalamus ; anthers usually 2-lobed, with 

 a fleshy connective, and dehiscing transversely at the apex. 



