ORDER CVin. EUPHORBIACEiE. 499 



Genus VI.— RIC'INUS. L. 19—15. 

 (From ricinus, a tick, from the appearance of the seeds.) 



Flowers monoecious. Staminate flowers — calyx 5-parted ; 

 stamens numerous. Pistillate flowers — calyx 3-parted ; styles 

 3, 2-cleft ; capsules spiny, 3-celled, 3-seeded. 



Castor-oil Plant. 



1. R. commu'nis. Stem erect, hoary, pruinose. Leaves peltate, 

 palmate; lobes lanceolate, serrate. — Road-sides. Introduced from the 

 East Indies. 



Genus VII.— CROTOXOP'SIS. Rich. 19—5. 

 (From its resemblance to Croton.) 



Monoecious. Sterile florets ; perianth 5-parted, with 5 peta- 

 loid scales. Stamens 5. Fertile florets ; perianth 5-parted. 

 Stigtiias 3, twice bifid. Capsule 1-seeded, indehiscent. 



1. C. linearis, (Mich.) Stem erect, dichotoraouslj branched, cover- 

 ed with silvery scales. Leaves linear-lanceolate, entire, on short petioles, 

 stellately pubescent above, and with silvery scales beneath. Flowers 

 in terminal and axillary spikes, very minute. — 0. May — June. Pine- 

 barrens. 12 — 18 inches. 



Genus VIII.— CROTON. L. 19—15. 

 (From the Greek kroton, a tick, from the form of its seed.) 



Monoecious. Sterile florets ; perianth cylindrical, 5-toothed. 

 Corolla 4-petaled or none. Stamens 10 — 15. Fertile flowers; 

 perianth 5 or many leaved, or none. Corolla none. Styles 3 

 — 6, 2-cleft. Capsule 3-celled, with 1 seed in each cell. 



1. C. marit'imum. (Walt.) Stem somewhat shrubby, erect, trichoto- 

 mously divided, with the branches clothed with a stellular tomentum. 

 Leaves oval, obtuse, entire, subcordate, pale above, hoary beneath. 

 Flowers in spikes ; those of the sterile florets many-flowered, the fertile 

 florets generally in pairs. Capsule tomentose. — If. June — October. 

 Drifting sands along the sea-coast. 2 — 3 feet. 



2. C. argyran'themum, (Mich.) Stein somewhat shrubby. Leaves 

 entire, obtuse, obovate. Flowers numerous, in short terminal racemes. 

 Perianth pedicellate, silvery. — 2f . July. Dry soils. 1 — 2 feet. 



3. C. glandulo'sum, (L.) Stem erect, hispid, trichotomously divided, 

 often colored. Leaves oblong, serrate, hairy beneath, bearing 2 glands 

 at the base. Flowers in spike3 in the divisions of the stem, with the 

 fertile and sterile intermingled ; the sterile with a 5-petaled corolla, the 

 petals white, longer than the calyx, and inserted into its base. Sta- 

 mens 10. Fertile florets ; perianth 5-leaved, hispid ; leaves unequal. 

 — Q. June — Oct. Cultivated lands. Very common. 1 — 2 feet. 



4. C. ellip'ticum, (Xutt.) Stem pubescent, irregularly branched, to- 

 mentose when young. Leaves oval-lanceolate, entire, pale beneath, 

 stellular pubescent. Flowers in terminal clusters ; the sterile spike 

 growing in the midst of the fertile flowers. Capsule tomentose. — ©. 

 July. Middle Car. and Geo. 1—2 feet. 



