310 



80. euphorbiacej:. 



[J air op /i a. 



very soft, almost spongy, useless as timber. Weighs 25 lbs. to the cub. ft. 

 The seeds yield an oil, used for burning and sometimes medicinally by 

 poor natives. 



J". gossypifoUa, L . A large shrub, native of Brazil, is subspontaneoua 

 and very common near the sea coast from Karwar, North K^nara, to 

 Bombay. A garden escape. Fl. and Fr. throughout the year. 



ALEURITES, Forst. 



Trees with simple or stellate pubescence. Leaves simple or lobed, 

 2-glandular at the base. Flowers monoicous, in large terminal pani- 

 cles. Calyx 2-3-partite. Petals 5, imbricate in bud. Disk urceolate, 

 or glandular. Stamens numerous, on a conical torus. Ovary 2-5- 

 eelled ; cells 1-ovuled ; styles 2-5, 2-cleft. Fruit a large drupe : 

 putamen 1-5-celled. Albumen oily ; embryo straight, cotyledons flat. 



A. moluGcana, Willd. Sp. PL IV. 590; Fl. Br. 1. 5. 384 ; Bedd. FI. 

 Sylv. t. 276. A. triloba, Dalz. & Gibs. Bomb. Fl. Suppl. 76. Ahrody 

 jaiphal, Vern. 



Indigenous in the Malay Archipelago. Planted in gardens throughout 

 the Bombay Presidency ; it is often called, by Europeans, the Indian or 

 Belgaum walnut or the Candle-nut tree. Fl. Apl.-May. Fr. ripe next 

 cold season. A moderate-sized tree. The kernels of the nuts are eaten 

 and taste like walnuts. They yield a clear oil used for burning and cooking. 

 Beddome says that a large trade is carried on in this oil in the Sandwich 

 Islands. 



18. CROTON, Linn. 



Trees or shrubs, rarely herbs. Leaves alternate, simple, 2-glan- 

 dular at the base. Flowers small, in bracteate racemes or spikes, 

 usually monoicous. Male fl. Calyx usually 4-partite, slightly 

 imbricate in bud. Petals as many as sepals. Glands of the disk 

 alternating with the petals. Stamens 5 or numerous, usually 10-20, 

 inserted on a hairy receptacle, filaments inflexed in bud, afterwards 

 erect. Fem. fl. Sepals more ovate than in male, rarely accrescent. 

 Petals smaller or 0. Disk annular or of glands. Ovary 2-4-celled 

 cells 1-ovuled ; styles slender, 2-4-clef t. Capsule usually tricoccous, 

 cocci 2-valved, 1-seeded. Seeds smooth with a caruncle, testa crusta- 

 ceous j albumen copious ; cotyledons broad. 



Ovary lepidote or stellately tomentose. Trees 

 or slirubs. 



Shrub. Inflorescence and leaves densely 

 silvery-lepidote. Leaves entire, 3- 

 nerved at the base. Capsule | mch ... 1. C. reficulatus. 



Small tree. Young leaves and inflores- 

 cence lepidote. Leaves glabrous when 

 old, toothed, penninerved. Capsule J 

 inch ... ... ... ... 2. C ohlongifolius^ 



