16 MEDICAL BOTANY. 
favour. As a solvent for stone at one time it was supposed to possess efficacy. ‘I'he Germans call it Gries wurzel, 
gravel root, but like others, supposed to possess similar powers, it has been misrepresented. 
It is usually given in infusion or extract. 
Puate VIIL—Represents the plant in flower, and the inflorescence enlarged, mith the fruit. 
PAPAVERACE A. 
JUSSIEU. 
Essential Cuar.—Sepals two, deciduous. Petals hypogynous, either four or multiples of that number, placed in 
a cruciate form. Stamens hypogynous, either eight, or some multiple of four; generally very numerous, often in four 
parcels, one of which adheres to the base of each petal; anthers two-celled, innate. Ovary solitary ; style short or 
none; stigmas alternate with the placente, two or many; in the latter case, stellate upon the flat apex of the ovary. 
Fruit one-celled, either pod-shaped, with two parietal placente, or capsular, with several placente. Seeds numerous; 
albumen between fleshy and oily ; embryo minute ; straight at the base of the albumen, with plano-convex cotyledons. 
(Lindley. ) | | ; 
The Papaveracee are annual plants, rarely perennial or shrubby. Their roots are fibrous; leaves alternate, 
simple, pinnatinerved, dentate, or pinnately-lobed ; the peduncle is one-flowered ; the flowers are white, yellow, or red, 
never blue. A peculiar juice exists in them, which is either lactaceous, yellowish, or red. 
The medical properties of this tribe of plants are acrid and narcotic; the acridity is evident from the taste and 
effects upon the mouth. The Poppy, (Papaver,) is taken as the type of the tribe. The properties, however, do not 
reside in the same parts of the plants composing it. Some are found to contain them solely in the fruit, as is the case 
with the Opium Poppy. Others in the root or stems, as in Sanguinaria canadensis. In the former, to other acrid 
principles is joined, a decided soporific principle, Morphia, upon which the peculiar value of the product, Opium, 
depends. The acrid and narcotic effects of the whole tribe is so marked, that when studying the individuals in their 
relations, botanical and other, this relation cannot be overlooked. The idea of Fée is worthy of note, that if we abstract 
Morphia from the Poppy, which gives a decided soporific preponderance, the mode of action is similar in all respects, 
throughout the family. ; : 
PAPAVER SOMNIFERUM. 
LINNAUS. 
OPIUM POPPY. 
Sex. Sysr.—Pol andria, M. | ; 
Gina yandnia, Monogynia. 
