Flora Medica

EUPHORBIACEJE.HURA.Flowers monoecious, amentaceous. # .Calyx truncate. Stamensnumerous, united into a solid colnmn. $ . Style 1. Stigmawith 12-18 rays. Capsule with 12-18 cocci.390. H. crepitans Linn, sp.pl. 14-31. Willd. xiv. 592.(Hart, cliff*,t. 34. Trew. tt. 34 35.) West India Islands,Mexico and Guayana. (Sandbox.)A tree abounding in milky juice. Leaves cordate, acuminate, entire,or very slightly toothed, stalked, smooth, coriaceous, with simple veinspassing from the midrib to the margin, in a curved direction within a\ of an inch or so of each' other, and connected by numerous obliqueveinlets; stipules large, ovate, leafy, deciduous; petioles as long orrather longer than the leaves, with 2 glands at the apex. Male flowersarranged in an erect long-stalked axillary conical catkin, composed ofimbricated 1 -flowered scales. Calyx short, urceolate, truncate.Column of stamens surrounded in the middle by 2 or 3 rows of tubercles,each of which bears an anther on its under side. Female flowersolitary, at the base of the male peduncle or near it.Calyx urceolate,entire, or dividing eventually into 3 parts. Stigma very large, discoidal,peltate.Fruit a depressed umbilicated woody capsule, about the sizeof a middling apple, with from 12-18 furrows, which separateinto asmany cocci, which fly asunder, each opening into 2 valves, with greatelasticity when dry and fully ripe. Milk so venomous as to produceblindness a few days after touching the eye. Seeds a violent drasticdangerous purgative. Aublet states that negro slaves to whom 1 or 2seeds had been administered in the form of an emulsion were nearlykilled by them. Martius reckons the plant an emetic.EXO&CARIA.Flowers monoecious or dioecious, amentaceous. $ . Nothingbut staminiferous bracts. Stamens 7-9, united into about 3parcels, all connected at the base. 5 . Calyx 3-fid, or 0.Style 3-parted. Capsule 3-coccous. A. de J. in part.391. E. Agallocha Linn, sp.pl. 1451. Swartz fl.ind. occ.1121. Roxb.Jl. ind. iii. 756. Arbor excaecans Humph.ii.ii. tt 79, 80. Common in various parts of the continent andislands of India, especially on the coast.A small, crooked, stunted tree. Leaves alternate, about the extremitiesof the branchlets, stalked, ovate or cordate, but usually acuteat the base, smooth on both sides, remotely and slightly serrate,pointed, with 2 glands at the base, and about 2 inches long. Petiolesabout an inch long, smooth, channelled. Stipules small, fine pointed.cJ. Aments axillary, often crowded, cylindric, while young imbricatedwith five spiral rows of 1-flowered, reniform bracts, whichlengthen by age, when the flowers become distinct. Calyx 0. Fivesmall scales round the base of the filaments. Anthers with 2 largelobes. $ . Aments solitary, axillary, the lower half containing190