No. 87. SPIGELIA. 89 



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fowls. They have been used internally for inflammation 

 of the stomach and bowels, ardor of urine, dropsical 

 complaints, internal and syphilitic pains, obstinate her- 

 petic and scorbutic eruptions, ulcers of a cancerous na- 

 ture, &c. The dose, one or two grains. Externally, 

 they are still more useful in poultice, for headache, 

 phlegmon, schirrous, erysipelas, painful inflamed sores, 

 even scrofulous and cancerous, foul chronic ulcers, and 

 every other disease of the skin. 



No. 87. SPIGELIA MARILANDICA. 



Names. Common Pinkroot. Fr, Spigelie ofiicinale. 

 Vulgar. Carolina Pink, Starbloom, Indian Pink, Worm 

 Root, Unstitla- 



Classif. Nat. Order of Gentianea. Pentandria mo- 

 nogynia L. 



enus Spigelia. Calyx five parted persistent. Co- 

 rolla funnel shape, five cleft. Stamens five, inserted near 

 the opening. One style, exert, stigma fusiform. Capsule 

 bilobed bilocular, many seeded. 



Sp. Spigelia marilandica. L. Perennial, stem simple, 

 quadrangular, leaves opposite sessile, ovate lanceolate ; 



terminal raceme of unilateral fusiform flowers. 



DESCRIPTION. Root perennial, yellow, with many 

 branched fibres in a bunch- Several stems, with four 

 sides? erect, simple, smooth. Leaves all opposite and 

 sessile, oval elongate, very sharp or acuminate, entire 

 and smooth. A raceme, seldom two, with few flowers, 

 five to twelve, one sided, on short pedunales, without 

 calyx, with five subulate serrulate segments. Corolla 

 very handsome, one inch long, of a bright scarlet out- 

 side, but yellow above or inside, tube fusiform or swell- 

 ed, and an^lar above, border with five acute spreading 

 segments, like a golden star. Stamens five, short, in- 

 serted near the mouth, but decurrent, anthers cordate, 

 oblong. Pistil ovate, small, style long filiform, jointed 

 below, with a fusiform pubescent acute stigma. Capsule 

 on the reflexed calyx, with two globular lobes and cells, 

 and many seeds. 



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