Medeola Virginica. 145 
the diminutive of Medea, the renowned sorceress of ancient Mytho- 
logy; and this appears to be the only suggestion on the subject, en- 
titled to consideration. 
The genus Medeola comprises three species, one or two of which 
Michaux, Gawler, and some other botanists have proposed to ex- 
punge. Jussieu intimates that it should be referred to Trillium or 
Paris, from its analogy to those genera, having verticillated leaves 
and the habit of Trillium; and Mr. Nuttall has recently severed the 
species now under notice, from Medeola, and constituted it a new 
genus, to which he has given the name of Gyromia, from v»¢os, a 
circle, in reference to its verticillated leaves. He does indeed 
appear to have good reason for this separation; the present plant, 
having a three-celled berry, each cell containing from five to six 
seeds; while the other two, which are African species, have berries 
containing three cordate seeds. Therefore it was, that in my Com- 
pendium Flore Philadelphice, I rather hastily adopted the new 
name. As, however, some inconvenience arises in a medical work 
like this, from the change of long-received names, I have, for the 
present, preferred the old one of Medeola. 
The root is horizontal, from one to two inches long, about half an 
inch thick, oblong, fieshy, pure white, and covered with a few fibrous 
radicles. ‘The stem is from one to two feet high, herbaceous, very 
erect, terete, shining, of a yellowish colour, and covered for a few 
