Euphorbiaceae: "The Spurge Family"

Milky juice in tissues throughout

Leaves simple, may be palmately lobed or compound, usually alternate and stipulate

Flowers monecious or dieocious, infloresence variable--a flower-like cyathia in Euphorbia

Stamenate flowers often reduced to a single stamen

Pistilate flower bearing a 3-carpellate ovary, each carpel with a separate style

Fruit a capsule or schizocarp

provided by J. Wenger, October, 1996