Tab. 4289 . 
PHARBITIS CATHARTICA. 
Purging Pharbitis. 
Nat. Ord. Convolvulace^e.—Pentandria Monogynia. 
Gen. Char. Calyx 5-sepalGs. Cor. campanulata aut campanulato-iiifundibuli- 
formis. Stylus 1. capitato-granidatum. 3-rarius 4-loculare, 
loculis dispermis.—Herbae volubiles elongatae speciosts, perplurima ornamenti 
graiia hi hortis culta ; plerteque Americana, retrormm pilosa. Chois, in DC. 
Pharbitis cafhartica ; caule glabro contorto, foKis glabris cordatis aut ssepius 
cordato-trilobis, lobo intermedio ovato-acurainato basi saepius dilatato, late- 
rabbus brevioribus acutis, petiolo longo, pedunculis 1-2-fioris petiolis supe¬ 
rantibus, bracteis 6-8 lineas longis bdineari-lanceolatis apice (fructis) acu- 
rainato reflexis hirsutulis, corolla speciosa purpurea. 
Pharbitis cathartica. Chois, in Be Cand. Frodr. v. 9. jo. 342. 
Ipom^ea cathartica. Foir. Encycl. Suppl. v. 4. p. 633. 
Convolvulus Portoricensis. Spr.Syst. Veget. v. l.p. 595. 
Far. floribus roseis. 
Convolvulus pudibundus. Lindl. Bot. Beg. t. 999. 
IPOM^A pudibunda. Bon, in Mill. Bict. v. 4:. p. 276. 
A native of St. Domingo, Porto Rico, and Mexico, according to 
Choisy; we may fiirtlier add Sta. Martha,in New Grenada; whence 
Mr. Purdie sent seeds in 1845, which flowered at Syon Gardens, 
in November of the same year, and made a very lovely appear¬ 
ance. The colour of the corolla is particularly vivid, varying 
from deep reddish-purple to rich violet-blue. The Convolvulus 
pudibundus of Dr. Lindley, above quoted, is doubtless the same 
species, with rose-coloured flowers. The ‘ Plore Medicale des 
Antilles ’ states that M. Bauduit, a rich proprietor of St. Do¬ 
mingo, discovered in this milky plant a resinous juice, which 
coagulates and proves to be profusely purgative. He formed 
of it a much approved syrup, which, in the French colonies, 
bears his name. This syrup is very active, and requires, on 
account of its di’astic properties, to be used with great caution. 
Descr. Steiti apparently annual, terete, glab^rous, twining, 
slender, branched. Leaves alternate, remote, broadly cordate. 
