400 



EUPHOItBIACE^E. (SPURGE FAMILY.) 



14. 



Synopsis. 



§ 1. Ovules and seeds solitary in the cells. Flowers monoecious. 

 • Flowers without floral envelopes, enclosed in a common cup-shaped involucre. 

 El PHORBIA. Fertile flower solitary in the 4 5-toothed involucre. Sterile flowers ser- 

 Bral, each reduced to a single stamen. 



• * Flowers in bracted spikes or racemes : the upper ones sterile, the lowest fertile. 

 -»- Flowers apetalous. 

 44 Stigmas aud cells of the capsule 6-7. 

 HIPPOMANE. Carpels woody, indehiscent. Spikes terminal. Staminate flowers clus 

 tered. 



*+ h+ Stigmas and cells of the dehiscent capsule 3. 

 STILLTNGiA. Calyx 2 - 3-toothed. Anthers erect. Staminate flowers clustered. 

 EXCtECARIA. Calyx 3-parted. Anthers pendulous. Staminate flowers single. 

 ACALYPIIA. Stigmas many-parted. Flowers spiked. Bracts of the pistillate flowers 



leafy, toothed. 

 TRAGIA. Stigmas 3, simple. Flowers racemed. Bracts small, entire. 

 ♦- Staminate flowers (except No. 1 in Croton), or the pistillate also furnished with petals. 

 CROTON. Pistillate flowers apetalous, or with minute petals Stamens 6 or more, distinct. 

 CHOTOXOPS1S. Pistillate flowers apetalous. Capsule 1 celled. Stamens 5, distinct. 

 AP1IOKA. Pistillate and staminate flowers 5 petalled. Capsule 3-celled. Stamens 10 

 monadelphous. 



* * # Flowers cymosc or panicled, apetalous. 

 CNIDOSCOLUS. Flowers cymose. Calyx white, corolla-like. 

 BICINUS. Flowers in crowded panicles. Calyx herbaceous. 



$ 2. Ovules, and commonly the seeds, 2 in the cells. 



* Flowers monoecious, apetalous. Ovary 3-celled. Herbs. 

 PIIYLLANTIIUS. Flowers axillary. Calyx 5 - G-parted. Stamens 3. monadelphous. 

 PACHYSANDBA. Flowers spiked. Calyx 4-parted. Stamens 4, distinct. 



# # Flowers dioecious, apetalous. Ovary 2-celled. Shrubs. 

 DBYPETES. Flowers in axillary clusters. Fruit drupaceous, 1 celled, 1-seeded. 



1. EUPHORBIA, L. Spurge. 



Flowers monoecious, destitute of calyx and corolla ; the single pistillate, and 

 several monandrous staminate ones included in a cup-shaped or top-shaped 4-5- 

 toothed involucre, which has commonly thick and often colored glands between 

 the teeth. Styles 3, 2-eleft Capsule exserted, 3-celled : carpels 2-valved, 

 1-seeded.— A polymorphous genus of plants with acrid milky juice. 



§ 1. Leans without stipules, 

 * Stem erect, umbellately branched above: involucres solitary, terminal and in the 

 forks of the branches: leaves of the stem alternate, those of the branches opposite or 

 nhorled. 

 «- Glands of the involucre 5, with white petal-like appendage*: leaves entire: peren- 

 nials. 

 1. E. corollata, L. Stem smooth or pubescent; branches 4 - 6, twice or 

 thrice forking, mostly short and fastigiate; leaves thick, oblong or oval, obtuse, 

 pale, mid mostly hairy beneath ; involucres pedicelled ; appendages of the (green/ 



