TAXONOMY 
3°3 
with commonly eight stamens. Fruit a two-celled capsule (P. 
Senega ), rarely a drupe or samara. Pollen grains barrel-shaped. 
Official drug Part used Botanical origin Habitat 
Senega Root Polygala Senega United States and 
Canada 
Euphorbiaceoe or Spurge Family. — Often herbaceous, more rarely 
shrubby, rather seldom arborescent plants. Stem, leaves and other 
parts in several genera traversed by latex canals that are either 
ramifying cells ( Euphorbias ) or laticiferous vessels ( Manihot , 
Hevea, etc.) or rows of laticiferous sacs ( Micrandra ) and contain a 
white latex with acrid often poisonous contents or alkaloid or 
hydrocarbon, at times, rubber contents. Leaves alternate, exstipu- 
late to stipulate, simple to pinnate or palmate. Inflorescence 
cymose. Flowers usually as in Ricinus, etc., pentamerous, diclin- 
ous; sepals five, green, aposepalous, becoming rudimentary or ab- 
sent in Anthostema and Euphorbia. Petals none or five more or less 
petaloid; stamens numerous to ten to five or one ( Euphorbia ); 
pistil in pistillate flowers rarely of twenty to ten apocarpous or 
loosely syncarpous carpels (Sandbox tree), commonly of three syn- 
carpous carpels with distinct radiate styles; ovary as many-celled 
as carpels with two to one ovules in each cell. Fruit a tricoccoid 
regma or capsule, rarely winged, indehiscent, nut-like. Seeds with 
oily endosperm. Flowers at times surrounded and subtended by 
more or less petaloid and expanded bracts and bracteoles. 
Official name 
Part used 
Botanical origin 
Habitat 
Euphorbia 
Pilulifera N.F. 
Herb 
Euphorbia pilulifera 
Tropics and sub- 
tropics 
Stillingia 
Root 
Stillingia sylvatica 
Southern United 
States 
Oleum Ricini 
Volatile oil 
Ricinus communus 
Asia and Africa 
Oleum Tiglii 
Volatile oil 
Croton tiglium 
Asia 
Cascarilla N.F. 
Unofficial 
Bark 
Croton Eluteria 
West Indies 
Tapioca 
Starch 
Manihot utilissima 
South America 
Kamala 
Hairs of capsule 
Mallotus 
philippinensis 
Asia 
Elastica 
Prepared latex 
Hevea braziliensis 
and other species 
Brazil 
