SPUKGE FAMILY. 



260 



qualities, hence it is called AVild Ipecac. E . Lath' yrus, L., tlie Caper 

 Spurge, a biennial species, is found in gardens, and is partially natural- 

 ized ; it has a stout stem 2-3 feet high, -with thickish, mostly opposite 

 leaves ; flowers in umbel-like clusters, the glands on the involucre with 2 

 short horns ; this is sometimes called Mole Tree, from a popular notion 

 that it kept moles out of gardens. An allied perennial species with run- 

 ning root-stocks, E. Esula, L., is naturalized in some parts of Massachu- 

 setts, where it is likely to become troublesome. 



2. CNIDOSCO'LUS, PoJiL Spuege-xettle. 



[Greek, Knile, a nettle, and SJcolos, a prickle.] 



Flowers monoecious, in a terminal open forking cyme ; the fertile ones 

 usually in the lower forks. Stamixate Fl. Cahjx corolla-like (white), 

 salver-shaped, 5-lobed. Stamens 10, monadelphous below, the inner ones 

 longer. Pistillate Fl. Calyx as in staminate flowers, but 5-parted. 

 Ovary 3-celled : styles 3, short, somewhat united, many-cleft. Pod 3- 

 celled, bristly-hairy, 3-seeded, separating into three 2-valved carpels. 

 Perennial herbs with stinging bristles. 



1. C. stimnlo'sa, Gray, Stem branching ; leaves roundish-heart- 



i?haped, 3 - 5-lobed, lobes sinuate toothed. 



Stinging Onidoscolus. Spurge-nettle. Tread-softly. 



Ror>t lonj witli long branches. Skm 6-18 inches high, and, as well as the leaves, 

 cov:to i with stinging bristly hairs. Xearg? about 2 inches long and somewhat wider. 

 ti'rrile liuw-r.s ab j'-it h:ilfan inch in length, hairj'. 



Virginia ani s^juthward. Throaghout the summer. 



Obs. A troublesome weed in light sandy soils, its long branching roots 

 penetrating 3-5 feet. The prickles produce great irritation for a 

 short time. 



3. RI'CTNUS, Tour lief. Castok-oil Plant. 



[Latin, Eicinus, a tick, or bug ; from the resemblance of iho seeds.] 



Flcvjcrs monoecious. Calyx 3 -5-parted, — the lobes valvate in ajstiva- 

 tion. CoroUa none. Staminate Fl. Stamens numerous ; fi'aments 

 variously united and much branched ; anthers with the cells distinct 

 and pendulous from the apex of the filament. Ovary globose, 3-celled ; 

 cells 1-ovuled ; style short ; stigmas 3, deeply 2-parted, oblong, colored, 

 plumose. Capsule mostly echinate, 3-lobed ; cells or carpels l-c^eeded. 

 1. Pi. commu'nis, L. Stem herbaceous, hoary ; leaves alternate, petio- 

 lale, p?]tate, palmately 5-7-lobcd, — the lobes lanceolate, glandular-ser- 

 rate ; capsule echinate. 



Common Ricinus. Castor-oil Bean. Palma Christi. 



Fr. Le Riciu ordinaire. Germ. Der Wunderbaum. Span, llicino. 



Boot annual. 4-6 feet high, stout, branched, terete, nodose, smooth, r\->stl7 



purplish and covered with a glaucous powder. Xeares 6-12 inches across, palmate-. " 'ed, 



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