Menispermum. DIOECIA HEXANDRIA, 815 
nearly round, of the size of a small pea, marked on the inside 
near the base with the remaining stigma, smooth, when ripe 
of a black purple, and full of deep purple juice. Seed soli- 
tary, nuciform, forming nearly a complete ring with the join- 
ing on the inner and under side, between the stigma, and in- 
sertion of the peduncle, Jnteguments three; the exterior one 
rugose, and consisting of four valves, which fall off spontane- 
ously in as many portions, if the pulp has previously been re- 
moved, if not, they adhere to it, and are separated with it in 
the dry state, ex posing the middle, white, rugose, two-valved, 
nuciform tunic, which has a large perforation in the middle; 
the inner one very thin, and adhering to the perisperm. Pe- 
risperm conform to the seed, and of a light brown colour. 
Embryo inverse, annular, Cotyledons two, lanceolate. Ra- 
diele curved, with its apex opposite to the stigma. 
The juice of the ripe berries makes a good, durable, bluish 
purple ink. A decoction of the fresh roots, with a few heads 
of long pepper, in goats’ milk, is administered for rheu- 
matic and old venereal pains; half a pint every morning 
is the dose. It is reckoned heating, laxative, and sudorific. 
The fresh leaves taste simply herbaceous. Rubbed in wa- 
ter they thicken it into a green jelly, which is sweetened with 
sugar, and drank when fresh made, to the quantity of half a 
pint, twice a day for the cure of heat of urine in gonor- 
rhoeas. If suffered to stand a few minutes, the gelatinous 
or mucilaginous parts separate, contract and float in the cen- 
tre, leaving the water clear like Madeira wine, and almost 
tasteless. Curry,is made of the leaves, for people under a 
course of the roots, or jelly of the leaves, Goats, cows, and 
buffaloes eat it. 
9, M, laurifolium, R Ponidsnty 
Arboreous. Leaves piece lucid, eatin; os three-nerveds 
Male and female flowers on compound, press! racemes. © 
some — pore ea 
