Flora Medica

EUPHORBIACEJE.The same milk thickened by boiling has been used as a cathartic andemetic : but its action is so violent as to render its use very dangerous.394. E. tribuloides Lam. encycl. ii. 4-12. Wllld. ii. 835.Canaries.Stem almost 2 inches high and 1 inch broad, ovate, fleshy, quadrangular,having 2 opposite, stalked, ovate, spathulate leaves growingfrom its base. Prickles in pairs, white, clustered on the margin of theangles. Said to be a sudorific.,395. E. antiquorum Linn. sp. pi. Blackw. herb. t. 339(Rheede. ii. t. 42. Comm. hort. i. t. 12.) Common on barrenuncultivated land all over India, and Arabia-Felix.Stem shrubby, leafless, succulent. Branches spreading, triangular,or quadrangular ; angles sinuated and armed with double spines at theprotuberances. Peduncles solitary, or in pairs ; 3-flowered. Stamensonly 5. Bark of the root bruised and taken in water is purgative.Rheede. It is supposed by some that this plant yields the drug Euphorbium,a resinous substance, possessing acrid irritant poisonous properties.all probability, however, it is obtained from E. oificinarum.InDr. Christison assigns the substance to the latter ;Guibourf to thisspecies, officinarum and canariensis. According to Hamilton andRoyle, no euphorbium is obtained from this, at least in India.396. E. canariensis Linn. sp. pi. 646. Willd. ii. 882.Blackwell t. 340. f. 1.(Comm. hort. ii. 207- 1. 104.) In theCanary Islands.Stems shrubby, succulent, erect, branched, leafless, very open andsimple. Branches with from 3-4 angles, armed with double, hooked,dark, shining spines. Flowers somewhat sessile, below a pair of spines,supported on each side by an ovate, concave, green bract. Lobes ofthe involucre sessile, fleshy, entire, very obtuse, dull purple. Propertiesthe same as those of E. officinarum, but weaker. Forsk.Martius regards this as the source of Eupkorbium, but Mr. Pereirasays that he is certainly in error, as all our Euphorbium comes from397. E. heptagona Linn. sp. pi. 647. Willd. ii. 883(Bradl. succ. ii. t. 13. Boerh. lugdb. i. t. 258.) Cape of GoodHope.Stem succulent, leafless, naked, with 7 rounded angles, and very longsolitary subulate flower-bearing spines. Virey says the ^Ethiopianstip their arrows with the milk, which is a mortal poison.398. E. officinarum Linn. sp. pi. 47. Forsk. p. 94.t.DC.pl. grass, 647. Willd. ii. 884. Blackw. t. 340. f. 2.S. and C. iii. t. 142. (Comm. hort. i. t. 11.) Arabia, andthe hotter parts of Africa.Stems short, tufted, succulent, leafless, naked, prickly, with manyangles ; prickles in pairs, short, thick and strong. Milk purgative ;7 or 8 drops mixed with flower are made into pills, or taken in cow'smilk, as a dose, according to Forskahl. Mr. Pereira considers that theDergmuse of Mr. Jackson, from which according to the latter author