( W 3 
it, and rarely amount to twelve in number* 
fo that it fails in the eflential character of the 
eleventh clafs, wherein it is placed, that cha-> ' 
racier requiring that the flowers contained 
in it Ihould not have fewer than eleven fta~ 
mens, or more than nineteen : the fmallnefs 
of the ftamens, and the milky juice, which 
flows fo plentifully from every part wheri 
bruifed, renders the inveftigation of the Eu«* 
phorbias, on the principles Of the Linneara 
fyftem, extremely difficult. A clear idea of 
the flower and fruit of this Angular genus 
may, however, be obtained by differing 
fome flowers of the large garden fpurge-tree, 
or euphorbia lathyris. The part which Lin^ 
neus had called the corol, Mr. Curtis has now 
named the nectary. There is a fingular ap- 
pearance which crowns the feeds of thefe 
plants, and which did not efcape the notice 
of Mr. Curtis. This extraordinary appendage 
is termed by him a button : it is of a flefhy 
fubftance, of a grayilh colour, heart-lhaped, 
and Hands loofely on a lliortifli foot-ftalk. In 
the tree-fpurge it gives beauty to the large 
black feed which it crowns. The outer ha- 
bits and milky juices of the euphorbias are 
fufficient marks of diftinction of this genus ; 
but 
