I'M 
VETERINARIAN. 
VOL.XLV 
No. 536. 
AUGUST, 1872. 
Fourth Series. 
No. 212. 
Communications and Cases. 
THE PRINCIPLES OF BOTANY. 
By Professor James Buckman, F.G.S., F.L.S., &c. &c. 
(Continued from p. 409.) 
Euphorbiales. — Euphorbial Alliance come next in order 
for description. Its diagnosis is as follows:— 
“ Declinous Exogens, with scattered monodichlamydeous 
flowers, superior consolidated carpels, axile placentee, and a 
large embryo surrounded by abundant albumen.”—Professor 
Lindley. 
The author just quoted has classed five natural orders in 
this alliance, but we purpose in this paper only noting the 
EupJiorbiacece which are remarkable for their definite 
suspended ovules and superior radicles. 
If we take our commoner representatives of the order we 
may describe the following genera:— 
Euphorbiacece. — Spurgeworts. 1. Euphorbia —Spurges. 2. 
Croton —Crotons and Cascarilla. S. Ricinus —Palmi-Christee. 
Bentham, speaking of the spurge family, says :— 
“ It is a vast family, chiefly tropical, so varied in aspect 
that no general idea can be formed of it from the three genera 
which represent it in Britain, nor is the connection between 
these three genera easily understood without a comparison 
with intermediate exotic forms. The structure of the ovary 
and fruit is peculiar to this family amongst unisexual plants.” 
A pervading character of the British Euphorbiums is the 
milky juice which exudes upon the puncture of any part of 
the plant. This juice possesses highly acrid stimulating 
qualities, and in some of the foreign species when dried it 
xlv. 36 
