FLORA OF TUE ISTHilUS OF PAKA3IA. 181 
Common about the city of Panama and the adjacent islands; frequently establishing itself on old 
wallsj and on the roofs of houses and churches. 
776. Jacaraxda filicifolia, Don, Dc Cand. Prodr. vol. ix. p. 229.— Nomcn vernacul. " Palo de 
bubo." From David to San Lorenzo, Veraguas, mostly on the banks of rivers. 
This tree, as its popular name indicates, is.used against yaws and aiiiiUar cutaneous eruptions. It is 
one of the most beautiful the country can boast of, and about 50 feet high: the flowers arc blue with a 
purplish tinge, and numerous ; the wood is white, aud very light. 
777. TouiUiETiA lappacca, Willd., De Cand. Prodr. vol. ix. p. 236. Volcano of Cliiriqui, 
Veraguas. 
This plant has been also found in Peru (Lobb, M'Lean, and Mathews), Tolima, New Granada (Purdie), 
Mcrida (Moritz), and Mexico (Hartweg). The flowers resemble those oi CasiiUcja vulgaris. 
CRESCEKTIACEyE. 
Few groups of plants have been a greater puzzle to botanists ^hau that of Crescentiacew. Crescenliacew 
were associated by Jussieu with Solanecs, by Endliclier with Oesneriace^, and by De CandoUe with Bigmni- 
acece. Gardner has the credit of having been the first who pointed out (Hook. Joum. vol. ii. p. 42i) tlieir 
claims to be regarded as a separate Natural Order, closely alUed to Bigmniacem. Lindley, adopting this view, 
gave, in the first edition of his ' Vegetable Kmgdom,' p. 673, a diagnosis of the New Order. That diagnosis, 
however, had one great fault : it was entirely drawn up from one member of that family, viz. Crescentia 
Cujeta, L. (C cuncifolia, Gardn. !), aud does therefore not comprise the chief feature of the -whole Order. For 
instance, it assigns to aU Crescentiaeem simple leaves, and a hard-shelled or woody fruit.—characters which 
combined are only found in one species of Orescentia. It is ^ith the vie^ of remedying this evil, that I have 
been induced to draw up the following brief diagnosis, the merits of which may bes£ be tested by compar- 
ing it with the plants composing the Order. 
Crescentiace,^.— P'/'w/im vel arbores glabrje vel glabratse, caulc ramisqnc plus minnsve an- 
gulatis. Folia alterna, fasciculata vel opposita, pctiolata vel snbsessilia, nunc simplicia, ssepissime 
intcgcrrima, nunc composita, trifoliolata vel pari- v. impari-pinnata. Stipul<e nullte, vel iutordum e 
gemma; axillaris foliis primariis spurifc. Flores herraaphroditi, snbregulares vel irrcgulares, tcrmiuales 
vel axiUares, vel sicpissime ex truuco aut basi ramulornm orti. Calyx liber, gamophyllus, persistens, 
5-raerus vel rarius dccidnns, spathaceus vel bipartitus. Corolla hypogyna, gamopctala, subcampa- 
nulata, iiifundibuliformis vel hjix>craterimorpha, limbo 5-lobo, subsequali vel subbilabiato, lubis per 
^stivationem dnplicato-plicatis vel subplicato-imbricatis. Stamina 4, cum rudimeuto qumti, corolla 
tubo insci-ta, ejusdem laciniis alterna, cxserta vel inclusa. Filanienta simplicia. Anther<2 bdoculares. 
Discus hypogynus glandulosus, ovarii basin cingens, s^pe obsoletus. Ovarium Ubcrum, Moculare ; 
ovula indefinita. Stylus terminalis, sin)plex. Stigma bilobum vel bilamellatum. Fructus baccatus, 
1-2- vel rarius 4- vel pluri-locularis. Semina pluiima, aptcra. Albwnen nullum. Embryo rectus 
vel subcurvatus. 
The Crcscntiacece inhabit chiefly tropical and subtropical regions of America and Africa. They are 
excluded from Europe and Australia ; and only one species is found in Asia. Several Crescentias are cuto- 
vated and have become naturalised in different parts of the Old World. No 0....«ft«.<. possess any 
poisonous qualities, but their properties on the whole are not yet understood. The Order, as far as it is at 
present known, is composed of about thirty species, distributed under nme Genera. 
