122 DIANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Justicia^ 



dy parts round, and covered with pretty smooth ash-coloured bark ; 

 the tender branches, and young shoots jointed, smooth, and bbso- 

 letely six-seeded. — l^eaves opposite, petioled, broad-lanceolate, 

 point obtuse, above smooth, below a little downy, entire ; from two 

 to four inches long-, and from one to two broad. — Panicles coryra- 

 biform, axillary, and terminal, always three-cleft, as also the sub- 

 divisions. — Peduncles and pedicels short, round, a little downy. — 

 Bractes minute. — FLoreers small, white. — Carol with a long, slender, 

 -4^ompressed tube; «/Jt^e/- lip broad, three-cleft, tipper lip erect, line- 

 ar, sides reflected, apex bifid. — Nectar tj, a fleshy ring surrounding 

 the base of the germ. — Anthers v^ithout the tube, twin. — Capsule; 

 — I have not seen it. 



Obs. Milk boiled on the roots, is reckoned, by the Indian physici- 

 ans apluodisiacal, and as such often employed ; for no medicines 

 are more sought after by the natives of India than those \%hich are. 

 imagined to belong to that class. - 



The roots rubbed with lime juice, and pepper, are used, and of- 

 ten with good effect, to cure the ring zcorms, or Herpes miliaris, 

 which in India is a most troublesome disease, and very common. 



They are also used for the bite of poisonous snakes; hence the 

 Telinga and Tamul name Naga mulli, or Jasmine of the Cobra 

 de capella: Naga is therefore prefixed to tlie name of most of their 

 antidotes, or medicinfes supposed to destroy the effect of poison, and 

 occurs very often in their writings. For like the ancient Physicians 

 ol Greece, Home, &-c. those of India at this day, make poisons, and 

 their antidotes, a very chief part of their studies; but from the seem- 

 ing mactivity of a very large share of them, we may safely conclude, 

 that their practice is equally frivolous with liiat of the ancients, and 

 ought to be discouraged as much as possible ; because at least, they 

 prevent the application of more efficacious remedies. 



11. J. lanceolaria. R. 



Shrubby, erect. Leaves petioled, lanceolar, smooth. Fascicles 

 terminal, panicled,, clammv. fmm two tn four-flowered; embraced 



