Euphorbia

“ These tender and delicate, exquisitely beautiful bulbs flourish amongst the succulent Euphorbias and Mesembryanthemums, between the hedgehog-like thorny plants and the woody little densely-branched mats of the permanent flora. The rain stimulates even these last to put out green leaves and flowers, but their time comes later on, when by the return of the usual drought every leaf and flower and the fruit of every bulb has been shrivelled up, turned into powder, and scattered in dust by the wind. ”

“ The euphorbia are plants of mean appearance, very common everywhere. Their flowers, small and yellowish, grow in a head, the even branches of which radiate at the top of the stem. These plants are easily recognized by their white juice, their milk, which runs in abundance from the cut stems. ”

“ It may seem rather paradoxical to select Euphorbia as an example of the same relation; this genus being considered by Linneus, and the greater part of the botanists who have adopted his system, as having a dodecandrous hermaphrodite flower. We have already, however, I believee sufficient evidence that this supposed hermaphrodite flower is in reality formed of several monandrous male flowers surrounding a single female [4] . ”

“ The tender young shoots of Kleinia ante-euphorbium, or Euphorbia Mauritanica, which for many inches of their lengths have scarcely any ligneous fibres, show us scarcely any escape of the coloured liquid from the vessels of the medullary sheath. So, too, is it with Stapelia Buffonia, a plant of another order, having soft swollen axes. And then we have a repetition of the like connexion of facts throughout the Cactaceæ: the most succulent showing us the smallest permeability of the vessels. ”

“ The euphorbia best flourishes in the ravines, but, from its poisonous nature, adds little to the comfort of the traveller. Even the honey which the wild bees deposit in the rocks is tainted with the poison of the euphorbia flowers, and, if eaten, causes most painful sensations. The throat first begins to feel as if cayenne-pepper had been incautiously swallowed, and the burning heat soon spreads and becomes almost intolerable. Even in a cool country its inward heat would be nearly unendurable, but in such a place as Namaqua-land, what the torture must be can scarcely be conceived. ”

“ In all ages it has been customary to dedicate certain plants to the honour of distinguished persons. Thus Euphorbia commemorates the physician of Juba a Moorish prince, and Gentiana immortalizes a king of Illyria. The scientific botanists of modern times have adopted the same mode of preserving the memory of benefactors to their science; and though the honour may have been sometimes extended too far, that is no argument for its total abrogation. Some uncouth names thus unavoidably deform our botanical books ”

“ Mixed peaty and loamy soil, deep and cool. Several charming American species are now in cultivation.
Euphorbia.—Plants whose beauty resides in the bracts or floral leaves which surround the inconspicuous flowers. E. aleppica, 2 ft., 770 and E. Characias, 2 to 3 ft., with green bracts, are fine plants for rockwork or sheltered, corners.
Ferula.—Gigantic umbelliferous plants, with magnificent foliage, adapted for shrubbery borders or open spots on lawns. They have thick fleshy roots, deeply penetrating, and therefore requiring deep soil, which should be of a light or sandy character. ”

“ In the pursuit of this diversified and attractive flora, the multiplicity of dwarf shrubs, of rushes, and of euphorbias, stands only too good a chance of being completely overlooked.
EUPHORBIA TREES.
For miles this sandy substratum forms shallow, grassy valleys from 10 to 20 feet deep, and varying from 100 to 900 yards in length, running parallel to each other, and alternating with wooded eminences rising 30 to 50 feet above the sea level. ”

“ The large genus Euphorbia shows great variety in habit; many species, like the English spurges, are annual herbs, others form bushes, while in the desert regions of tropical Africa and the Canary Islands species occur resembling cacti, having thick fleshy stems and leaves reduced to spines. Another large genus, Phyllanthus, contains small annual herbs as well as trees, while in some species the leaves are reduced to scales, and the branches are flattened, forming phylloclades. ”

“ I would have great groups of Yucca standing up against the sky and others in the rock-face, and some bushes of this great Euphorbia and only a few other plants, all of rather large grey effect; Phlomis, Lavender, Rosemary and Cistus, with Othonna hanging down in long sheets over the bare face of the warm rock. It would be a rock-garden on an immense scale, planted as Nature plants, with not many different things at a time. The restriction to a few kinds of plants would give the impression of spontaneous growth ”

“ As the stamens and pistil are borne by different flowers, cross-fertilization is necessary. In Mercurialis and others with inconspicuous flowers pollination is effected by the wind, but in many cases insects are attracted to the flower by the highly-coloured bracts, as in many Euphorbias and Dalechampia, or by the coloured calyx as in Manihot; the presence of honey is also frequently an attraction, as in the honey-glands on the bracts of the cyathium of Euphorbia. ”

“ It grows well in peat and loam, and is increased by seed or by cuttings of the young shoots in spring in bottom-heat. Pinch back freely until the end of July, leaving all growth after that period. Height, 2-1/2 ft.
Euphorbia.—An elegant class of plants. The stove and greenhouse varieties are generally succulent, and require but little water, while the hardy kinds need plenty of moisture. Any rich, light soil suits them, but for the tender, succulent plants it should be mixed with brick rubbish. Best grown from seed, though the roots may be divided. ”

“ EUPHORBIUM, an acrid dull-yellow or brown resin, consisting of the concreted milky juice of several species of Euphorbia, cactus-like perennial plants indigenous to Morocco. It dissolves in alcohol, ether and turpentine; in water it is only slightly soluble. ”

“ Leaves at base of umbel broad, resembling those of the inflorescence Spurge, Euphorbia lucida. 15a. Upper stem-leaves distinctly narrowed at the base; introduced species of waste places (summer) Spurge, Euphorbia peplus. [Pg 68] 15b. Upper stem-leaves rounded at the sessile base; native species of woodlands (spring and early summer) Spurge, Euphorbia commutata.
CALLITRICHACEAE, the Water Starwort Family
Small herbs growing in water or in mud, with opposite entire leaves and small inconspicuous axillary flowers, with neither calyx nor corolla. (Flowers in summer) . ”

“ In the forenoon of the 1st of August, after we had anchored in the road, I went on shore to one of these valleys, with an intention to reach the top of the remoter hills, which seemed covered with wood; but time would not allow me to get farther than their foot. After walking about three miles, I found no alteration in the appearance of the lower hills, which produce great quantities of the euphorbia Canariensis. It is surprising that this large succulent plant should thrive on so burnt-up a soil. When broken which is easily done, the quantity of juice is very great ”

“ Leaves of the involucre broadly triangular-ovate, widest near the base Spurge, Euphorbia obtusata. 12b. Leaves of the involucre broadly obovate to nearly circular, widest near or above the middle Spurge, Euphorbia helioscopia. 13a. Stem-leaves narrowly linear, less than 3 mm. wide (2-4 dm. high; late spring and summer) Cypress Spurge, Euphorbia cyparissias. 13b. Stem-leaves narrowly oblong-spatulate, more than 5 mm. wide, and more than 3 times as long as wide (2-6 dm. high; summer) — 14. 13c. Stem-leaves obovate to nearly circular, not more than twice as long as wide (1-4 dm. high) — 15. ”

“ Wonderful it is if only these last have had the same parentage—still more if they have had the same parentage, too, with forms so utterly different from them as the prickly-stemmed scarlet-flowered Euphorbia common in our hothouses; as the huge succulent cactus-like Euphorbia of the Canary Islands; as the gale-like Phyllanthus; the many-formed Crotons, which in the West Indies alone comprise, according to Griesbach, at least twelve genera and thirty species; the hemp-like Maniocs, Physic-nuts, Castor-oils ”

“ Some are herbs, as our Spurges, others are shrubs and trees; some African Euphorbia-species even resemble the habit of a Cactus. Leaf-like branches with rudimentary leaves are found in Phyllanthus (sub-genus Xylophylla) (Fig. 456) . The leaves are scattered or opposite, often stipulate; they are nearly always simple. Large, highly-branched cells containing a great quantity of pungent latex are found in many, and watery juice in others. Glands and glandular hairs are general.—Only a few genera can be considered in this book. ”

“ When I visited the fort it was nothing but a group of deserted mounds, overgrown with coarse grass and those tough milky-juiced plants that come under the order of Euphorbiacea. The juice is sticky to touch and acrid to taste. The name is said to have been derived from Euphorbus, a physician to Juba, King of Mauritania. If the character of the man of medicine was in keeping with the character of the plant, he must have been an extremely disagreeable person. The black goats do not seem to object to the Euphorbia. They poke their long noses in among the plants and emerge chewing. ”

“ If this be a correct view of the structure of Euphorbia, it may be expected that the true filament, or upper joint of what has commonly been called filament, should, as in other plants, be produced subsequent to the distinct formation of the anthera, which consequently will be found at first sessile on the lower joint or peduncule, after that has attained nearly its full length; and accordingly this proves to be the case in such species as I have examined. ”

“ The most modern works and those in highest repute consider the south of Asia to be the original home of this Euphorbiacea; sometimes they indicate certain varieties in Africa or America without distinguishing the wild from the cultivated plant. ”

“ Alpine mat formers, such as Silene acaulis, Paronychia pulvinata, Arenaria sajanesis, etc., are typical examples. Xerophytic, turf-forming species of Muhlenbergia, Sporobolus, Bouteloua, Festuca, Poa, and other grasses form striking ring-like mats, while creeping species of Euphorbia, Portulaca, Amarantus, etc., produce circular areas. Rosettes, bunch-grasses, and many ordinary rootstalk plants spread rapidly by runners and rhizomes. The direction of growth is often indeterminate in these also, and is in consequence more or less bilateral or unilateral. ”

“ It thrives in the Botanic Garden and very likely may soon spread onto Michigan farms.
Fig 122. Leafy Spurge. Euphorbia Esula L.
Leafy Spurge. Euphorbia Esula L. Seeds dull, light drab colored, broad-oval, narrowed at one end, nearly circular in transverse section, 2.3 mm. long, not including a wrinkled bunch (caruncle) at the base, a dark vertical line (raphe) extending above one side opposite which is another ridge the color of the seed. Introduced from Europe. [Pg 144] ”

“ After drying for three months, the floating period is only increased by a day or two. Though not at all suited for transport for any distance by the currents, the carpels, on account of their long prickly calyx teeth, would readily become entangled in a bird’s plumage, and doubtless they are dispersed usually in that fashion.
Euphorbia paralias. The seeds float a long time unharmed in the sea. In my experiments at least 90 per cent. remained afloat after six weeks in sea-water. On account of their small size they are liable to be overlooked in beach drift ”

“ In a great many genera the corolla is absent. The most reduced type of flower is that described in Euphorbia, where the male consists of one stamen separated from its pedicel by a joint, and the female of a naked tricarpellary pistil. The stamens are sometimes more or less united (monadelphous) , and in castor-oil (Ricinus) (fig. 3) are much branched. The ovary generally contains three chambers, and bears three simple or more often bipartite styles ”

“ Ghost-Weed (Euphorbia bicolor) grows in great abundance on the plains of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Texas, being especially thick along dry creek margins. The plants are lovely in late August and September, their showy appearance being due to the green and white leaves surrounding the flower clusters. It bears rather unusual flowers which yield a poisonous honey. The green calyx-like structure is an involucre bearing numerous flowers, each consisting of a single stamen or pistil. ”

“ The young plants of Euphorbias, Ixoras, Poinsettias, and other such stove plants, to be rendered bushy by stopping them betimes. The Æschynanthus grandiflorus, Aphelandra cristata, Eranthemum pulchellum, Justicias, and any others that are intended for the decoration of the conservatory in the autumn and early part of winter, should be carefully looked over, and shifted without delay if they want more pot-room; the shoots to be tied out thinly, and to be exposed to as much sun as they will bear without scorching the foliage, to induce stocky growth. ”

“ On the long ascent Grislea, Acacia, Bheir, Zanthoxylon, Cordia, Nyctanthes, Myrtaceæ 1-2, Wendlandia, Bignonia, Randia, and two or three other trees about houses, a species of Ficus; Euphorbia antiquorum common on the drier parts.
On the ascent from the torrent, the vegetation is thick. Bauhinia scandens, Carandas, Butea, Erythrina, neither common, others as before: Loranthus.
At Ramgurh, Peepul, Erythrina, Rhus planted; Euphorbia antiquorum very common, Cassia tora, C. lanceolata, Carandas common, Kalanchœ integrifolia, Adhatoda not rare, scarcely a single wild tree. ”