580 



BOTANY 



PART II 



Male flower with a central column around which 3-15 adherent anthers are 

 arranged. Female flower with one ovule enclosed by the single carpel. Fruit 

 berry -like, with coarse flesh, but dehiscent. Seed with ruminated endosperm 

 and arillus. 



OFFICIAL. MYRISTICA, Nutmeg. The seed of Myristica fragrans divested of 



its testa. 



Family 6. Berberidaceae. 

 Flowers formed of a varying 

 number of trimerous whorls. 

 Carpel {always solitary. 

 K3 + 3, C3 + 3, A3 + 3, Gl. 

 In Berberis vulgaris the leaves 

 on the shoots of unlimited 

 growth are transformed into 

 spines ; the short shoots bear 

 simple leaves and terminate 

 in racemes of flowers. The 

 stamens are irritable to con- 

 tact (cf. p. 296). 



OFFICIAL. PODOPRYLLI 

 KHIZOMA obtained from Podo- 

 plujlhim peltatum (Fig. 600), 

 a North American, herbaceous 

 plant with large, palmately 

 divided leaves and a terminal 

 flower. 



Familyl 7. Menisper- 

 maceae. Similar to the pre- 

 ceding family but G3. For 

 the most part tropical, climb- 

 ing plants. 



OFFICIAL. CALUMBAE 

 RADIX obtained from Jatror- 

 rhiza palmata (Fig. 601) from 

 Portuguese East Africa. 



Family 8. Lauraeeae. 

 Aromatic trees or 

 shrubs with entire 

 leathery leaves, which 

 usually persist for several 

 seasons. Only Sassafras, 

 which has three-lobed 

 leaves as well as simple 



ones, sheds its foliage annually. No stipules. Flowers inconspicuous, 

 borne in panicle-like inflorescences. They are actinomorphic and com- 

 posed of trimerous whorls. Androecium of four whorls, some of which 

 frequently consist of staminodes or are wanting. Anthers opening 

 by valves. Filaments sometimes bearing glands. Carpels 3, coherent 



FIG. 597. UydrasUs canadensis (J nat. size). The apocarpous! 

 fruit to the left. OFFICIAL. 



