COCCULUS PALMATUS. 13 
: by Dr. Styles of Valparaiso, in 1836, some of which were deposited 
. * he Herb on of den of Netordl Scienbes of Philadelphia. The leaves correspond to the description 
= age oa Pastis ; they are three or four inches long and one wide. ‘The flowers are axillary or terminal, from 
ag ey : ie in umbellated panicles, which are an inch and a half or two inches long. The calyx in three 
0% . als . the corolla somewhat stellate in form, and constituted of at least twelve oblong, ovate, unequally 
aang ai The arin are five in number, around which the shorter stamina are inserted on the receptacle. 
o.. a escciee. between this and the preceding species, seeds in bee i of the leaves, the calyx, and the 
3 ; he flowers, instead of being simple, are clustered. see 
tack of this Aven Leow aromatic and tonic tick as the Winter’s Bark, and is used for similar purposes. 
Merat and De Lens state, that the specimen of D. Winteri which is in their possession came from Chili, and was 
sent by Dr. Bertero. Was it not the present plant? As no description is given, this question can only be answered 
jecturally. gee 
ey D. Magnolicfolia the bark of which is called Canelo, in Chili, is the same species. 
Prats Vi.—Represents the plant in flower. The inflorescence and fruit, are those of the D. granatensis. 
MENISPERMACES, 
DE CANDOLLE. 
MOONWORTS. 
MENISPERMEE.— Jussieu. 
Essentiat Cuar.—Flovers (by abortion) unisexual, usually dicecious, very small. Floral wnteguments in one or 
several rows, each consisting of three or four parts; hypogynous, deciduous. Petals sometimes absent. Maks - stamens 
monadelphous, or rarely distinct ; sometimes equal in number, and opposite to the petals ; at other times three or four times 
_ as many ; anthers adnate, turned outwards, or inserted on the apex of the filaments. Females : ovaries sometimes nume- 
rous, each with one style, cohering slightly at the base ; sometimes solitary, crowned with many stigmas ; internally many- 
celled, and therefore consisting of many carpels united together. Drupes usually berried, one-seeded, oblique, or lunate, 
compressed. Seed of the same form as the fruit ; embryo curved, or turned in the direction of the circumference ; albumen 
hone, or small and fleshy ; cotyledons flat, sometimes lying face to face, sometimes distant from each other, and lying 
tn two cells of the seed ; radicle superior, but sometimes appears inferior, when the apex of the fruit is, by the mode of 
growth, contiguous with the base. (De Candolle, and Pereira’s Mat. Med.) 
The plants belonging to this family are sarmentose shrubs, ligneous in their structure, but destitute of zones. 
Their leaves are alternate, often peltate, petiolate, and without stipules. The flowers are axillary. The common 
principle secreted by these plants is bitter; it is found in the roots and stems, with mucilage or an abundance 
of starch. The seeds of some of them are poisonous. In the Cocculus indicus the principle has been determined 
to be a peculiar one, to which the name picrotozine has been given. This may, perhaps, be also found in the seeds of 
other individuals belonging to the family. 
DE CANDOLLE. — oe 
COLOMBA PLANT. 
Sex. Sysr.—Dicecia, Hexandria. 
Gen. Cuar.—Flowers unisexual, dicecious. Calyx of twelve sepals, in four series, with two, 
: ; pore Tigeattees Males: stamens six, or rarely three, opposite to the inner sepals, distinct 
three, or more close_ 
> anthers two-celled, ter- 
* 
