STAGMARIA. 



narcotic smell. Calyx tubular, deciduous, bursting into 2 or 3 irregular 

 segments. Corolla much longer than the calyx, spreading, somewhat 

 reflexed, 5-petaled ; petals oblong, rather obtuse, adnate at the base to 

 the column which supports the ovary. Stamens 5, inserted on the 

 same column above the petals, alternating with them, and nearly of the 

 same length ; filaments thread-shaped ; anthers short, oblong, 2-celled. 

 Carpels on a pedicel or column, sometimes 3, but more frequently 

 there is only 1, whose position on the pedicel is rendered oblique by 

 the abortion of the other 2; each carpel contains a single ovule 

 attached to the inner angle. Styles terminal, shorter than the stamens. 

 Stigmas obtuse. Berry as large as a fresh walnut, reniform or some- 

 what spheroidal, but rather irregular in shape, generally furrowed on 

 one side ; the rind is rough and brownish, of a spongy texture, often 

 exhibiting on the surface the appearance of varicose veins, and when 

 cut, exuding an acrid juice ; it contains a single seed, similar in form to 

 the fruit, and equally abounding with a corrosive gum or resin. Em- 

 bryo exalbuminous, erect. Cotyledons united, having a fissure on one 

 side; radicle at the base of the fruit, short, incurved upon the cotyle— 

 dons at the lower part of the fissure. Jack. — Resin copious, ex.— 

 tremely noxious and acrid, causing excoriation and blisters when applied 

 to the skin ; the exhalations from the tree are so deleterious as to render- 

 it unsafe to remain beneath its shade. It yields one of the celebrated^ 

 hard black lackers or varnishes of China. See Cowp. B. M. 1. c. 



SCHINUS. 



Flowers dioecious. Calyx 5-parted. Petals 5. $ . Stameni^ 

 10. $ . Filaments sterile. Ovary 1, sessile ; style 0; stigmas 

 3—4, capitate. Drupe small, with a thin epicarp, a moderately 

 fleshy sarcocarp, and a 1 -seeded bony stone, having 6 empty . 

 cavities in its circumference. Seed suspended by a cord origi- 

 nating in the side of the lining, compressed, without albumen ; 

 cotyledons flat ; radicle inferior. — American balsamifasous 

 shrubs or trees with a peppery flavour. Flowers in axiife^ ra- 

 cemes or panicles. Leaves unequally pinnated. 



595. S. Molle Lin. sp. pi. 1467. Lam. illustr. t. 822, DC::. 

 prodr. i. 74. Bot. Mag. t. 3339. — Mexico and Peru. 



A small graceful tree. Leaves evergreen, pinnated. Leaflets linear- . 

 oblong in 4-9 pairs, coarsely serrated, the terminal leaflet generally the ,. 

 longest and quite sessile. Flowers small, in axillary and ternjii»al 

 panicles. Calyx bluntly 5-cleft. Petals 5 obovate-lanceolate, spread- , 

 ing, pale yellow-green. Ovary globose. Styles 3, each tipped with a , 

 large capitate stigma. — Bark and leaves filled with a resinous matter,- 

 which exudes from the trunk when wounded and concretes, into a 

 substance resembling Mastich. A white odoriferous substance, re-, 

 sembling Gum Elemi is also procured from the leaves, and, dissolved 

 in milk, is used in diseases of the eye. Of the bark boiled in water,, 

 lotions are made for healing tumours and reducing inflammations. 

 Hookey. 



S. Aroeira Linn. sp. pi. 1467. is in tbe opinion of Sir William 

 Hooker, a variety with the leaflets entire. It is said by Aug. de St. 

 Hilaire, to cause swellings in those who sleep beneath its shade. The 

 287 



