Euphorbiaceæ

( Bot. ) The Spurge wort family, an order of plants, alliance Euphorbia les. DIAG. Definite suspended and inverted ovules, scattered flowers, and tri coccous fruit. They are trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants, generally with an acrid milky juice. The flowers are unisexual, moncæcio us or diœcio us, axillary or terminal, sometimes inclosed in a calyx like involucre; achlamydeous, or with a lobed inferior calyx, having on its inside glandular or scaly appendages, or even evident petals, which are either distinct or united. The anthers are two-celled. The female flowers have a superior ovary, which is either elevated upon a stalk or se ile upon the thalamus, one-, two-, three-, or many-celled. The styles are either absent or corresponding in number to the cells of the ovary, entire or divided. The stigmas are equal in number to the cells of the ovary, or, when the styles are divided, corresponding in number to their divisions; the ovules, one or two in each cell, are pended from the inner angles of the cell. The fruit is either dry, when its parts separate from each other, and fro in the axis, usually opening with elasticity, or succulent and indehiscent. Seeds one or two in each cell, suspended, often with an aril or carunculate. Embryo inclosed in fleshy albumen, cotyledons flat, radicle superior. The plants of this ord. are more or le distributed over the globe, but are especially abundant in warm regions, particularly in equinoctial America. Many are extremely poisonous, the poisonous principle being contained in the milky juice, and pervading all parts of the plant more or le . Many have been employed medicinally, as rubefacients, suppurants, emetics, diuretics, and ca thartics. Some, as cascarilla, are tonic, aromatic, and stimulant, and are perfectly devoid of any acrid or poisonous principle. Others, as manihot, yield starch, which is largely employed for food. Caoutchouc and resin are obtained from the milky juice of others. The seeds of many yield oils, either of a bland or of an irritating nature. A few of the fruits, and some of the roots, are said to be eatable. Timber is yielded by some, as the box; and dye-stuffs by others. The hairs of some are stinging. The order includes 191 genera and about 2,500 species. Euphorbia les, n . pl . ( Bot .) An alliance of diclinous exogen plants. DIAG. Scattered mono dichlamydeous flowers, superior consolidated carpels, axile placentæ, and a large embryo surrounded by abundant albumen. This alliance includes the orders Euphorbiacea, Scepaceæ, Call it rich acer, Empetracea , and Nepenthaceæ.