E u p h o r b i a exi gu a Small Spurge.
EUPHORBIA Lin. Gen. PI. Dodecandria T rigyHia .
Cor. 4 f. 5-petala, calyci infidens. Cal. i-phyllus, ventricofus. Cap/.
3-cocca.
Rail Syn. Gen. 22. Herb® vasculIfer®, flore tetrapetalo anomal®.
EUPHORBIA exigua umbella trifida : dichotoma : involucellis lanceolatis, foliis iinearibus» Lin. Syfi-.
Vegetab. p. 375. Sp. PI. p. 654.
TITHYMALUS foliis linearibus, ftipulis lanceolatis ariftatis. Haller Hiß. n. 1048.
TITHYMALUS five Efula exigua. Bauh. Pin. p. 295.
ESULA exigua Tragi. Ger. etnac. 502.
TITHYMALUS leptophyllus. Parkin/. 193. Raii Syn. 313. Dwarf Spurge, or fmall annual Spurge*
Hudfon Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 208. Lightfoot FI. Scot, p. 250.
RADIX annua, fimplex, paucis fibrillis inftru&a. | ROOT annual, fimple, furnifhed with few fibres.
CAULIS eredtus, ramofus, foliofiffimus, femipedalis. | STALK upright, branched, very leafy, about fix inches
I h‘gh-
RAMI plerumque inferiorem partem caulis tantummodo | BRANCHES generally occupy the lower part of the
occupant, oppofiti, fuberedti. t ftalk only, are oppofite and nearly upright.
FOLIA plurima, apprefl'a, linearia, obtufiufcula. | LEAVES numerous, prefled to the ftalk, linear, and
f fomewhat obtufe.
UMBELLA trifida» interdum quadrifida, rarius quinque- | UMBELL dividing into three branches, fometimes four,
. fida, dichotoma. | ' rarely five, thofe forked.
STlPULiE Umbella lanceolato-lineares. | STIPUL^E of the general Umbell of a fhape betwixt
| lanceolate and linear.
----— — Utnbellula ovato-oblongai, acuminata;, oppo- t ■ of the partial Umbell, of an oblong, ovate
fitse, fiepe insequales. | fhape, running out to a point, oppofite, and
* often irregular.
CALYX glabra, perfiftens. Jig. 1. auEl. | CALYX fmooth, and permanent, fig. 1. magnified.
COROLLA nulla. | COROLLA wanting.
NECTARIA quatuor, corniculata, fufca. fig. 2, 3» | NECTARIES four, of a brownifh colour, each fur-
| nifhed with two little horns. Jig. 2, 3.
STAMINA plerumque duo vifibilia ; A nther® didy- 4 STAMINA generally about two vifible ; A nther®
mas. fig. 4. | 'double, fig. 4.
PISTILLUM t Germen fubrotundum, petiolatum, nu- 4 PISTILLUM: Germen roundifh, ftanding on a foot-
tans; St y l i tres; Stigma bifidum. fig..5, 6. | ftalk, and drooping; Styles three; Stigma
| bifid, fig. 5, 6.
PERlCxARPIUM : Capsula tricofcca, trilocularis. | SEED-VESSEL, a Capfule with three prominent fidqs,
| and three cavities.
SEMEN unicum in fingulo loculamento, nigrum, ru- ? SEED: a fingle one in each cavity, black, and wrinkled.
' gofum. , *
This fmall and delicate fpecies of Spurge is often found in Corn-fields about London, efpecially on the Surry fide
j of the Thames, nor is it uncommon in many other parts of England.
It flowers in July and Augufl.
The Tithymalus fegetum longifolius of Ra y , confidered by Profeflor Martyn in his Plant, Cantab, as the
ifigetalis of L inn®us, has by fome been thought to be no other than a large fpecimen of this plant; Mr. Hudson
makes it a variety of the platyphyllos; fuppofing fuch a plant as the fegetalis to exift, it cannot be a variety of
j the exigua becaufe it has rough Capfules, and its leaves are by far'too narrow for the platyphyllos, vid. Jacquin
! F/. Auflr. V. 3. & 4. who figures them both, and confiders them as diftindt fpecies.