GILLENIA. 



GILLENIA. 



Calyx tubular, campanulate, contracted and 5-cleft at the 

 edge. Petals 5, ligulate, rather unequal, inserted in the apex 

 of the tube. Stamens 10-20, very short, enclosed in the tube. 

 Carpels 5, almost united into a 5-celled capsule ; style filiform, 

 erect, capitate. Seeds 2 in each cell. 



465. G. trifoliata Moznch. meth. suppl. 286. Bigelcnu med. bot. 

 iii. t. 41. DC. prodr. ii. 546. — Spiraea trifoliata Linn. sp. pi. 

 702. Bot. mag. t. 489. — Woods in a light soil in the United 

 States. 



Stems a foot or two in height, several from the same root, erect, 

 slender, flexuose, smooth, reddish-brown, and branched. Leaves 

 alternate, trifoliate, subsessile, furnished with small lanceolate, slightly 

 toothed stipules at the base ; leaflets lanceolate, acuminate, sharply 

 and unequally toothed, the upper ones often single. Flowers few in 

 number, scattered, terminal, nodding, forming a sort of panicle, with 

 long peduncles, occasionally furnished with minute lanceolate bractes. 

 Calyx subcampanulate, or tubular, with the lower half narrowest, the 

 border divided into 5 reflexed acute teeth. Petals 5, the 2 upper ones 

 separated from the 3 lower, white, with a reddish tinge on the edge, 

 lanceolate, unguiculate, contracted, and approximated at base. Sta- 

 mens about 20 in a double series within the calyx. Capsules 5, 

 diverging, oblong, acuminate, gibbous without, sharp edged within, 

 2-valved, 1-celled, 1 or 2 seeded; seeds oblong, corresponding in shape 

 to the capsule. — The root is emetic, and possesses properties analo- 

 gous to those of Ipecacuanha. It requires, however, a larger dose, and 

 is considered uncertain in its operation. 



466. G. stipulacea Nutt. gen. amer. i. 307. Barton med. bot. 

 71. t. 6., with large ovate-cordate, leafy, gashed and serrated 

 stipules, but otherwise extremely like the last, is reputed to 

 possess the same properties. 



SPIR^A. 



Calyx inferior, nearly flat at the base, with 5 acute segments. 

 Petals 5, roundish or oblong, attached by their claws to the rim of 

 the calyx. Filaments more than 20, from the rim of the calyx, capil- 

 lary ; nearly as long as the corolla. Carpels 5, or more, superior, 

 ovate or oblong, compressed, each terminating in a short stout style. 

 Stigmas spreading, obtuse. Capsules as many as the carpels, 

 oblong, pointed, more or less compressed, each of 2 rather mem- 

 branous valves, and 1 cell. Seeds few, small, oblong, pendulous 

 from the outer margin of each valve. 



467. S. Ulmaria Linn. sp. pi. 702. E. Bot. t. 960. Fl. Lond. 

 t. 33. Smith Eng. Fl. ii. 368. DC. prodr. ii. 545. — Common 

 in meadows and along ditches. (Meadow Sweet.) 



Root fibrous, without knobs. Stems 3 or 4 feet high, leafy, branched, 

 furrowed, angular, smooth. Leaves of a few large, pointed, unequally 

 229 Q 3 



