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Show , 612 The HijJory of P ~ A N T S. ACALYPHA. ~ T HE calyx of the male flower confifis of three! or of four, leave~; there is nd corolla: the fiamina are from eig~t. to fi~~een m number~ In the female fl.ow-h 1 I·s compofed of three ]eaves· there IS no corolla~ the ftyles are three; the ar, t e ca yx ' · h fi 1 fc d · h Th fruit is a trioccous capfule, containing three cells, With. ha mg fte ee d ~n ~ac •. e iuli of the male flowers, as alfo the female ones, w IC are uccee e y tncocous fruits both ftand in the alre of the leaves. · · · ,'., 'fhefe charatl:ers fufficiently difiinguiili the Acalypha,. Without a farther defcription) ' . . C R 0 T 0 N. T HE calyx of the male flower is cylindric, and indente? in five places at the edge : the corolla confifts of five petals ; and the flamma are fr~ ten to fif. .. teen. The calyx of the femal.e flower is .~or.m.ed of feveral le~v~s; there lS no coro_l• la : th~ fiyles are three; ·and bd1d ; the frUit IS a capfule, contammg three cells, and m each a fingle feed. . . . . . . This genus contains the. R1cm01des and Hehotropmm tncoc€um of authors. Croton Joliis rhombeis repandis, capjulis pendulis, caule ' herbaceo~ 1tbt 1turnfolt The herbaceous Croton, '?Vith rhom6ic leaves, a1zd pendu- }0lant. lous' cap(ules. The root is oblong and £lender ; the plant rifes to ten or twelve inches: th~ fialk is round and green, but fomewhat hoary and ramofe: the leaves iland on oblong, hol.w lowed pedicles; they are oblong, and bend backwards~ th~y are rugofe, of a dufky green, and fomewhat hoary, foft to the touch, and. fmuated : th~ male. flowers are fmall and yellow, and ftand in clufl:ers on ~ort ped1cles: the frutt, w~Ich ~uc.cee~s the female flowers in the alre of the leaves, IS affixed to an oblong p~dtcle ; .It JS tncoccous, of a greyr~ col?ur, and fomewhat rou~h furface. !hefe frutts, while fi·elh,. rubbed on cloth, g1ve_1t a green colour, whrch almofl: mfl:antly turns to a fine bluTe.h e ·p lant is a nati·v e of France. C • Ba u h'm e ca 11 s I· t, H e1 w' tropm· m tn·c occum. ' Th~ Succus La,mus, or Turnfole, ufed in dying and painting, is prepared from thi9 plant. . RICINUS. T HE calyx of the male flower is divided into five parts; th:re i~ ?o co_rolla: the fiamina are numerous. In the female flower, the calyx IS divided mto three parts; there is no corolla;. the flyles are three, and are bifid: the fruit is a capfule, containing three cells)' and m each of them one feed. Ricinus Joliis peltatis, ferratis, petio!is . glanduliferis. 'The peltated, ferrated-leaved Ricinus, with glanduliferous pedicles. 1tbt <!omtnon ~icfnu.s, o~ ~alnta €brtftt. The root is long, thick, white, and fibrated : the plant grows to fiv~ or fix k et high; the ftallt is round, thick, hollow, firiated, jointed, a~d of a blUilh-green on the lower part, and a purplifh colour toward the top : the leaves are very large, palmated, and divided at the edge into fix or feven parts: the flowers are fmall and fiamineous, but they ftand in a long beautiful fpike, on a peculiar peduncle: the capfules are rough on the furface ; the feeds oblong. , It is a native of the Eaft. C. Bauhine calls it, Ricinus vulgaris'; others, Palm11 Chrifii. The , The other fpec ies are, x. The fmaller, An~erican_l~.icinus. 2. The deeply, divided .. leave<i, Ceylon Rit inus. 3; The larger-frmted R1cmus. 4· The .rounder-leaved Ri~ cinus. jATROPHA. T i-t E maie flower has no calyx : the corolla is of an infundibuliform lhape, and is formed of a lingle petal : the fiamina are ten in number, and are alternately ihorter. The female flower has no calyx : the corolla is of the rofaceous form, and confiJb of five petals : the fiyles are three in number, ahd are bifid : the capfule contains three cells, and in each a lingle feed. This genus comprehends the Maniliot ofTournefort, and the Juffievia ofHoull:ori. Jatropha Joliis digitatis. Tbe digitated-leaved Jatropha~ The root is oblong and very thick ; the plant grows to fix or eight feet high : the ftem is firm, but hollow, and full of pith: the leaves are digitateq, or compofed each of five or feven oblong narrow portions, uniting only at the bafe, where they are affixed to a long rib ; they are frnooth; and of a deep green : the flowers ate fmall and yellow. It is a native of mahy parts of America, where the natives make a kind of bread from the root, which is very nouri01ing. C. Bauhine calls it, Manihot Indorum foliis Cannabinis ; others, Yucca and Caffavi. The other fpecies of Jatropha are, r. The prickly, vine-leaved Jatropha. 2. The large, elm-leaved Jatropha. 3. The narrower, elm-leaved Jatropha. 4· The climbing; betony-leaved Jatropha. 5. The little, germander-leaved, American Jatropha. STERCULIA. T H E .ca1yx of the male flowers is divided into five parts;. there is. n.o cor?I1a : the · ftamma are fifteen. The calyx of the female flower IS alfo dtvided mto five parts; there is no corolla : the germen fiands upon a column : the fruit is a capfule, containing feveral cells, and in each of thefe are feveral feeds, Thefe characters fufficiently diftinguilh the Sterculia; without a farther defcription. H U R A. T HE male flowers are arranged into an imbricated amen tum ! the anther;R are feffile, and adhere to tht> amentum. The female flower has no calyx, nor any corolla : the fiyle is of an infundibuliform lhape : the fiigma is divided into twelve parts t the fruit is a capfule formed of twelve feparate tells, in each of which is a fingle feed. . . Of this genus there 1s but one known fpecies. H u R A. The root is fpreading ; the tree grows to ~ moderate height ; the trunk is thic~ ; the oark fmooth and brown, and the wood whitiili : the leaves are feven. or eight inches long five broad and placed on lorig pedicles; they are of a . beautiful green, and finely ferrated : ~he fruit Is two inches in diameter, and burfis into twelve lunula-ted parts, in each of which is a fingle feed.. . It is a native of America. Authors call1t Hura, and Arbor crep1tans •. Clafi |
