330 ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BOTANY OF | Balanophorece. 
The Avistolochias secrete a bitter principle and an essential oil; owing to the presence 
of the latter, they are sometimes very fragrant, and are used, like Aristolochia serpen- 
taria, as diaphoretics. Several are bitter, as A. longa and rotunda, still forming, 
though natives of the S. of Europe, a portion of the Asiatic Materia Medica, under the 
ames zwrawund tuwéel (Pers. duraz, long), and zurawund moodehryg (P. gird, round), 
” with Aristolokhia, as the Greek name. A. indica and bracteata, natives of the plains of 
India, are also both intensely bitter. It is remarkable that the first should be consi- 
dered by the natives a cure for snake-bites, as are some of the American species : both 
are employed to restrain diarrheas, and the latter is accounted emmenagogue in N. 
India. Asarxm Europeum is also sold in Indian bazars, under the name Asaroon ; but 
I have only found a‘ plant from the hills called tuggur substituted for it.* 
148. BALANOPHOREZ. 
This forms one of the small orders, which it is difficult to know where to refer. It 
was considered by M. Richard allied to Hydrocharidee, and also to Arcidee. In its 
affinity to the latter, MM. Endlicher and Schott are disposed to coincide. The 
discovery of spiral vessels in Rafflesia, as well as in M. Guillemen’s new genus Pilo- 
styles, has rendered less evident the connection of these with Celludares. In an admi- 
rable monograph, MM. Endlicher and Schott have ‘united the three orders ‘of 
Balanophorea, Cytinee, and Rafflesiacee, into one class, ‘which they call Rhizanthee. 
In these we see the same rules apply with respect to distribution -as in other families ; 
that is, where the majority occur in hot parts of the world, a few representatives spread 
_ into higher latitudes. Cynomorium and Cytinus existing in the S. of Europe, Sarcophyte 
“ind Aphyteia at the Cape of Good Hope. In like manner some species of these 
orders ascend moderate elevations in mountains bordering tropical ‘countries, where 
local circumstances are favourable to their development. Thus the genus Balanophora, 
originally found in the island of Tanna and New Caledonia, and subsequently in Java, 
has also a species, B. indica, in the Peninsula of India; two, B. typhina and gigantea, 
in Burma; and one extending to Nepal, B. dioica, Br., which ‘is considered to be 
identical with B. elongata of Blume, found in Java. This is figured in Tab. 99, from 
Dr. Wallich’s drawings ; but I possess no specimens to give a description. 
The properties of fhe plants ‘of this class, as far as at present known, are of an 
astringent nature, as Cynomorium and Cytinus, which contain gallic acid, in Europe, 
and Rafflesia in Sumatra and Java. I learn from a note in the E. I. Herbarium, 
N. 7249, that Balanophora gigantea (Gen. nov.? Sarcocordylis, Wall.) is found in every 
bazar in Burma, being used in medicine; and infer from Dr.Wallich’s MS. name 
Neerbis khaseeanum for B, dioica, Br., that this may be one kind of Nirbisi (v. p- 49.) 
149. PopostTEmMrE *. 
The Nepenthee or Pitcher Plants, are so strictly a tropical family, that they do not require notice in this 
em ey es he eae eee en 
work. ‘Though found in the tropical islands of the east, the southern part of China, Cochin-china, at Singapore, 
and at Courtallum in the Indian Peninsula, N. distillatoria was found by Dr.Wallich as far north as Silhet. 
Madagascar is the most southern distribution of the order. 
