82 FAM. 101. 



ling leaflets of a compound leaf; flowers small, greenish, apetal- 

 ous, a staminate and a pistillate one together in an axil; sepals 

 5-6; stamens 3 with filaments partially united; styles 3, 2-cleft; 

 fruit with 2-seeded carpels. Low ground. Summer. - Phylliantus 



P. Carolinensis. Smooth slender stem with 2-ranked branches; calyx 6-parted; 

 seeds semi-circular, 3-angled, marked with lines of minute papillae. 



P. nivosus (Breynia nivosa), Snow Bush. Cultivated for its foliage, which is 

 green variegated with white and mottled with pink and rose. 



2. Ovary 1-or 3-celled, cells 1-ovuled, ---_____3 



3. Flowers in bracted spikes or racemes, the staminate above the pistillate, - 4 



3. Flowers in apetalous cymes or in racemes, the pistillate above the staminate, 9 



4. Corolla present in either staminate or pistillate flowers or in both (ex- 



cept in Croton maritimus), ---------5 



4. Corolla wanting, ------ ------ 8 



5. Stamens 6 or more; capsules 3-celled; — stellate-pubescent or scaly, 



monoecious herbs or shrubs with mostly alternate leaves; flow- 

 ers in axillary or terminal clusters; staminate flowers with 4-6 

 coherent sepals and petals, and 5-many distinct stamens; pis- 

 tillate flowers with 5-10 sepals, usually no petals, and 2-3 styles 

 once to thrice 2-cleft, r - - - - - . ■ - Croton 



C. argyranthemus. Leaves with silvery scales beneath; sterile flowers 10-15 

 with 10-12 stamens, fertile ones few with 5-7 parted calyx and slender 4- 

 cleft styles. Dry pine-land. Summer. 



C. glandulosus. Herbs with stellate foliage; sterile flowers minute, white with 

 4-parted calyx and 4 petals; stamens 8; fertile flowers with 5-parted calyx 

 and 6-cleft styles. Waste places. Summer. 



C. punctatus (maritimus). Tall bushy herb, gray stellate-pubescent all over; 

 sterile and fertile flowers few, both without corolla; calyx 5-cleft; stamens 

 mostly 12; stigmas 18-20. Along the coast. Summer and Fall. 



Numerous Crotons (Codiaeum) are cultivated for their brilliantly variegated 

 leaves. 



5. Stamens 5; capsules 1-celled; — silvery-scurfy, monoecious herbs with 



narrow alternate leaves; sterile flowers with 5 sepals and 5 petals; 

 fertile flowers with 3-5 sepals, no petals, but 5 petal-like glands 

 opposite the sepals; stigmas 3, each 2-cleft, - Crotonopsis 



C. linearis. Stems wiry, leaves few; fruit small, scaly. Dry sand. Summer. 



6. Stamens 8-16, ovary 3-celled, stigmas fringed; — monoecious herbs with 



alternate, serrate, stipulate leaves; sterile flowers with 4-parted 

 calyx, in the axil of a minute bract; fertile flowers with 3-5 

 parted calyx, subtended by a leafy bract. Dry ground. Summer. 



Acalypha, Three-seeded Mercury 



A. gracileus. Pale green; leaves short-petioled, bracts not longer than the spikes. 



A. mosaica (triumphans). Cultivated for the foliage, the leaves having all shades 

 of green, yellow and red, with curious markings. 



A. hispida (Sanderi). Chenille-plant. Cultivated for its long red spikes. 



A. marginata. Tall plant, the green leaves margined with red and pink. Cult. 



6. Stamens 1-5, ----------.7 



7. Pistillate flowers and capsules pedicelled; — monoecious herbs with 



alternate leaves; sterile flowers with 3-5 parted calyx, and fer- 

 tile flowers with 3-8 parted calyx; ovary 3-celled, styles 3 often 

 united to above the middle. Sandy soil. Spring to Fall. - Tragia 



