I.OBELIACE^. 226 



6. H. AURANTI'aCUM. — Siewi leafy, hispid ;^o?rer5 densely corymbose ; 

 leaves oblong, somewhat acute, pilose, hispid. Native of Scotland. Flowers 

 numerous, large, orange-colored. One of the few species worthy of cultiva- 

 tion. Per. 



G7. MULGEDIUM. 

 Involucre double, the outer series short, imbricated ; re- 

 ceptacle naked; pappus copious, soft, capillary, crowning the 

 short-bealied achenia. 



Lat. mulgeo, to milk ; in allusion to the lactescent qualities of the plants. 



1. M. ACUMINa'tuM. Dc. Sonchns acuminatus. Willd. 

 Radical leaves subruncinate ; cauli.ne ones ovate, acuminate, petiolate, 



dentate; Acof/s loosely paniculate, on some wliat scaly peduncles. In hedges 

 and thickets. A smooth plant, ;{ — G feet high, with the stem often purpUsh. 

 Leaves 3 — 6 inches long, the lower ones oilen deltoid-hastate or truncate at 

 the base, sinuate-denticulate, narrowed at base into a winged petiole. Heads 

 small. Peduncles with a few scale-like bracteoles. Scales dark purple, with 

 blue corollas. Pappus white, on the short-beaked (ovate-acuminate) achenia. 

 Aug. Sept. Jlcuviinate-leaved Mulgedium. 



2. M. LEUC0PII.S)'U1VI. Dc. Sonchus floridanus. j4?>. Agathyrsus leucophacus. Don: 

 Leaves numerous, lyrate-runcinate, coarsely dentate ; heads paniculate on 



squamose-bracteate peduncles. Moist thickets. A tall, leafy plant, nearly 

 smooth. Stem 4 — 10 feet high. Leaves 5 — 12 inches long, irregularly 

 divided in a runcinate or pinnatifid manner, the segments repand-toothed, the 

 radical ones on long stalks, the upper ones sessile, often undivided. Heads 

 small, with pale blue or yellowish corollas, a dirty white pappus, and arranged 

 in a long, slender panicle. Aug. Sept. Shining Mulgedium. 



ORDER LXXVII. LOBELIACE^. The LoMia Tribe. 



Cat. — Superior, the limb 5-lobed oreiilire. 



Cor. — Limb irregular, 5-lobed, tlie tube inserted into the calyx. 



Sta. — 5, inserted with the corolla and alternate with its lobes. 



Anth. — Coherent into a tube. Pollen oval. 



Ova. — Adherent to the calyx tulie. Style simple. Stig. surrounded with a fringe. 



Fr. — A capsule, 2 or3-(rarely l-)celled, many-seeded. 



Herbs, sometimes shrubs, with alternate, exstipulate leaves. They are most abundant 

 in countries near the tropics, as AV. Indies, Brazil and the Sandwich Islands, but lliey are 

 found also throughout the temperate zones. 



Properties. All the species are poisonous, being pervaded by an acrid, narcotic juice. 

 The common /nrfia/i tobacco (Lobelia inflata) is an exceedingly active medicine, emetic, 

 sudorific and expectorant. It should be used, however, with great caution, since "less 

 than a teaspoonfulof the seeds or the powdered leaves would destroy life in a few hours." 

 Di. Gray. The other species produce similar elfects, but in a less degree. 



This order contains comparatively few genera and is represented in the Northern States 

 by the following genus only. 



LOBELIA. 

 Corolla tubular, irregular, cleft nearly to the base on the 

 upper side; stamens with the anthers united above into a 

 curved tube ; stigma 2-lobed ; capsule opening at the summit ; 

 seeds minute. 



