LACIRACE.'E. 328 LAURCS. 



ORDER CXIIl. PHYTOLACCACEiE. The Gargct-poke Tribe. 



Cal. — Sepals 4 — 5, petaloicl. 



Sta. — 1—5 and alternate with the sepals, or inclefinite. 



Ova. — 1 — several-ceiled. Styles and stigmas equal in ntimber to the cells. 



P/.— Baccate or dry. Sr-er/s solitary-, ascending. 



Embryo cylindric, curved around fleshy albumen. 



A smallorder, of which the Phytolacca decandria is our only representative. Leaves 

 alternate, entire, exstipulate. P. decandria possesses active properties, but ihey appear to 

 be yet little understood, and of doubtful application. 



PHYTOLA'CCA. 



Caljx 5-sepalec], resemhiiisg a corolla; stamens 7 — 20; 

 stjies 5 — 10; berry superior, lO-ccUed, lO-seeded. 



Gr. (pvrov, a plant, and Lat. laccn, lac ; because the plant produces berries 

 with a fine purple juice resembling lac. Racemes often opposite the leaves. 



P. deca'ndria. 



Leaves ovate, acute at both ends •,Jl^tt}er.s with 10 stamens and 10 styles. A 

 common, well known plant, growing about roadsides, hedo-es, &c. Root very 

 large and branching. The steiu. with the diameter of an inch, is 5 — 8 feet 

 high, round, smooth, branching, and when mature, of a fine, deep purple. 

 Leaves 5 inches long, 2 — 3 broad, smooth, of a rich green color, entire and 

 petioled. Racemes cylindric, long, at iirst terminal, becoming finally opposite 

 to the leaves. Flowers greenish white, consisting of 5 ovate, concave sepals, 

 10 stai7iens with white, 21obed anthers, and 10 short, recurved styles. The 

 fruit is a dark purple berry, of a round, depressed form. The juice of the 

 berries stains paper and linen a beautiful purple color, which, however, is not 

 durable. In Spain, it is said they are used to color wine. July — Sept. 

 Per. Poke. Garget. Jalap. 



ORDER CXIV. LAURACEJ5:. The cinnamon Tribe. 



CnZ.— Sepals 4—6, somewhat united, free from the ovary, imbricated in 2 series. [ing. 



Sta. — DefinUe, perigynous, usuaJJ^ twice as many as the sepals, the 3 innersterile or want- 

 Ant/i.—Adnate., 2 — 4-celled, opening, by recurved valves, from tlie base to the apex, 

 Oua. — Style and stigma single. [conspicuous, 2-leaved. 



Fr. — Berry or drupe on a thickened pedicel. Seed large, without albumen. Plumula 



Trees and shrubs. Leaves alternate, entire, exstipulate. Chiefly natives of the tropics, 

 but lew being sulTicienlly hardy to endure our climate. 



Prnpcrlies. The .species of tliis highly important order are throughout pervaded by a 

 warm and stimulant aromatic oil. Cinnamon is the dried bark of Cinnamomum Zeylani- 

 cnifi, of Ceylon, &e. Camphor is obtained from many trees of this order, but chiefly from 

 Camp/fora oiRcinarum, of Japan, China, &c. Crxssia Bark, from Cinnamomum aroinaticum 

 of China. Persea gratissima, a tree of the W. Indies, yields a delicious fruit called the 

 Avocado pear. Both of the following species are also moderately medicinal. 



' L A U R U S . 



Calyx regular, 4 — 5-parted ; stamens 8— 12, arranged in a 

 double series, the outer ones all fertile, alternate inner ones 

 fertile and ajjpendaged at base vvilh 2 glands (nectaries); 

 drupes flashy, 1 -seeded. 



Celtic, bUiiir (pronounced to/r), green ; the L«?/?-e7is perpetually green. 

 A noble genus of trees and shrubs. Fls. dimcious-polygairious. Cal. like a 

 cor. Sta. generally in 2 series of G each, 3 of the inner series being barren. 



