EIIPHOEBIA, On OF, or On OF CAPER SrunoE, an extremely acrid fixed oil, obtained by expression, or by the aid of alcohol or ether, from the seeds of the caper spurge (euphorbia lathyris), a plant common in many parts of Europe, and naturalized in some places in Britain. See SPURGE. Oil of euphorbia has much resemblance to cro ton oil in its properties, although less powerful and is sometimes used as a substitute for it, in doses of from three to ten drops. It is good for use only when recently extracted.
EIIPHORi3IATE/E, a very extensive natural order of exogenous plants, containing upwards of 2,500 known species—trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. They abound chiefly in warm countries, and most of all in tropical America. The few species found in the colder parts of the world are all herbaceous. The common box reaches a more northern limit than any other shrubby species. The other British species are different kinds of spurge (euphorbia) and dog's mercury (mercurialis). The E. usually abound in an acrid and poisonous milky juice; although there are species of which the juice is bland or becomes bland through the application of heat, so that their leaves may be used as food. The leaves in this order exhibit great diversities. The inflorescence is also various. Amongst those most remarkable for the acridity of their juice are the MAxcnixEEL (q.v.) and cxcceearia agallocha, an East Indian tree—formerly supposed to yield one of the kinds of aloes-wood—the smoke from the burning of which is extremely dangerous to the eyes. The juice of many of the spurges is also very acrid. Many of the E. are valued for their medicinal properties, different parts of the plant being in some instances employed, and in some the resins and oils which they yield. Thus the juice of some of the spurges, the roots or hark of the roots of others, the bark of different species of croton (cascarilla bark, copalche bark), etc., are used in medi
cine; and to plants of this order we are indebted for euphorbium, oil of euphorbia, cas tor oil, croton oil, etc. A few of the E. yield balsamic products of exquisite fragrance (see CROTON); a few, although their juice is poisonous, yield a wholesome starch in con siderable abundance.(see MANioc); a few are cultivated and used as pot-herbs, particu larly species of plukenetia in the East Indies; a few yield wholesome and agreeable sub acid fruits, as clew disticha and C. racemosa in the East Indies; the seeds of some are eatable, as those of the candle-nut (q.v.), of omphalea diandra, a Jamaica tree, and of concereiba Ouianen,tis, the latter being esteemed particularly delicious; the oil of the seeds is also in some cases used for food, like other bland oils (see CANDLE-MT*T); but more frequently it is used for burning, as castor oil, candle-nut oil, the oil of elzeococca verrucosa in Japan and Mauritius, and the concrete oil of stillingia sebifera, which is used in China for making candles, and in medical preparations as a substitute for lard.
—The dye-stuff called Turnsole (q.v.) is obtained from a plant of this order; and a bright red is imparted to silk by the roots of rottlera tinetoria, a native of Circassia, and by a red powder with which its seed-vessels are covered. The timber of some of the E. is valuable. African teak (q.v.) belongs to this order. The red-colored wood of stylo discus trifoliatus is used in Java for making masts. Some of the E. are often cultivated in gardens and hot-houses, more frequently for their curious appearance than for their beauty; but the large deep crimson bracts of poinsettia puteherrinta, a native of Mada gascar, make it a very attractive plant.