POLYGALACE^. 49 POLYGAJLA. 



ORDER XVI. RESEDACE^. The Mignionette Tribe. 



Oii.— Sepals somewhat united at base, unequal, green. 



Ci»-.— Petals lacerated, unequal. 



Sta.—S — 2(1, inserted on the disk. Torus hypog-j'nous, one sided, glandular. 



Oi-a.— Sessile, 3-lobed, 1-celled, many-seeded. Placenta; n, parietal. 



Fr. — A capsule, 1-celled, opening between the stigmas before maturity. 



A small order inhabiting the countries around the Mediterranean sea, having no veiT- 

 remarkable properties. Reseda luteola contains a yellow coloring matter, and other spe- 

 cies ai-e very fragrant. This genus is nearly naturalized in the western part of N. \ . 



RESE'DA. 

 Caljx leaves many, petals of the same number, each bearing 

 one or more stamens-, torus large, fieshv, bearing the ovary, 

 with several stamens and styles. 



Lat. rescdo, to calm, to appease; in allusion to the supposed efficacy of the 

 plant in relievinff pain. 



1. R. lute'ola. 



Leaves lanceolate, entire, with a tooth on each side at base; cabjx 4-clen:. 

 This useful exotic (nearly naturalized in Western N. Y.), atfords a most use- 

 ful yellow dye for cotton, wollen, silk and linen. The yellow color of the paint 

 called Dutch-pink is from this plant. For th«se purposes the entire plant, 

 when about flowering, is pulled up, and employed both fresh and dried. It is 

 annual, about 2 feet Fiigh. The fto\Vers are without petals, arranged in a long 

 spike, which, as Linnreus observes, follows the course of the sun, inclining 

 cast, south and west by day, and north by night. Dyer's Weed. 



2. R. odora'ta. 



Leaves entire, 3-lobed ; sepals shorter than petals. A well known and uni- 

 versal favorite of the garden, native of Egypt. The flowers are higiily fragrant, 

 and no boquet should be considered'couiplete witliout it. The v&xi€iy Jrates- 

 cens is by a peculiar training, raised to the height of 2 feet with the form of a 

 tree. The spcclvs jjlujieuma, native of Palestine, has a caly.x longer than the 

 petals. Migiiioitetie. 



ORDER XVII. POLYGAL.ACE/E. The mk-wort Tribe. 



C/il. Sepals .5, very irregular, 3 exterior: '2 interior, lar:j-pr and petiuloid. 



Cor. — Petals 3. hypogynous, one larger and anli-ii^.r, keci-slia])(Tl. 



S^^.—Hyposfyiiotis- 0— S; filaments cnmhined in a tul)i- whirli is split on the upperside, and 



coherent to some extent with the claws of the petals. 

 Oya.— Superior, compressed, 2-celled, one often abortive. Sty. curved and often cucullate. 

 Pr. — Loculicidal or indebi^cent. Seeds pendulous. 



A small order of shrubby or herbaceous plants, very equally distributed, each division 

 of the globe having two or" three genera peculiar to it. The properties of the Poiygalacein 

 have not been well determined. Some of the genera possess a biUer matter and a milky 

 juice which is emetic, expectorant and diuretic. Polygala is the only Northern genus. 



P O L Y' G A L A . 

 Calj^x 5-leaved, persistent, 2 of the sepals vving-shapefl and 

 colored; vexillum cylindric; capsule obcordate, 2-celled, 2- 

 valved. 



Gr. TtoXv, much, yaXa. milk. It was said to promote the lacteal secretions 



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