146 



the views of St. Hilaire and Moquin-Tandon are of the affinities of the 

 tribe. 



Geography, Most of the genera are limited to one or two of the 

 five parts of the globe ; thus Salomonia is only found in Asia, Soula- 

 mea in the Moluccas, Muraltia at the Cape of Good Hope, Krameria and 

 Securidaca in the two Americas, and finally Monnina and Badiera 'in 

 South America. Comesperma is found both in Brazil, and New Holland, 

 and, what is very remarkable, there is in the former country a species of the 

 Cape eenus Miindia. Polygala itself is found in four of the five parts: 

 under the torrid zone and in temperate climates, at Cayenne, and on the 

 mountains of Switzerland ; it is, however, very unequally distributed. Tliis 

 genus inhabits almost every description of station, — dry plains, deep mo- 

 rasses, woods, mountains, cultivated and barren soils. Comesperma is only 

 known in Brazilian woods, and Monnina and Krameria in open places. 



Properties. Bitterness in the leaves and milk in the root are their 

 usual characteristics ; but the order has not been well investigated with 

 respect to its qualities. Polygala senega root is stimulant, diuretic, siala- 

 gogue, expectorant, purgative, emetic, and sudorific, and also emmenagogue. 

 It has been used with great success in croup. Barton, 2. 116. P. saa- 

 guinea, according to the same writer, possesses similar qualities. A peculiar 

 vegetable principle, called Senegin, has been discovered by Gehlen in the 

 root of Polygala senega, and M. Reschier is also said to have procured a 

 principle called Polygaline from the same plant; but it is not known whether 

 these two substances are the same. Stephens and Church, no. 103. The 

 bark of Monnina polystachya, called Yallhoy in Peru, is stated to be ex- 

 tremely useful in cases of dysentery. It also possesses detersive properties 

 in a great degree. The ladies of Peru ascribe the beauty of their hair to the 

 use of its infusion, and the silversmiths of Huanaco employ it for cleansing 

 and polishing their wrought silver. Lambert's Illust. Cinch. 132, &c. Kra- 

 meria, a genus of an extremely anomalous structure, which, although most 

 likely really belonging to the order, differs from it in many important points, 

 is also remarkable for its tonic and excessively astringent qualities. Its 

 root is sold in Europe under the name of Ratanhia, and is one of the sub- 

 stances which, in conjunction with gum kino, is used for adulterating port 

 wine in England. According to M. Cadet, this root contains gallic acid, 

 but neither tannin nor resin. 



Examples. Polygala, Krameria, Monnina, Securidaca. 



CXXX. VIOLACEiE. The Violet Tribe. 



ViOLARiE^, Dec.Fl. Fr. 4. 801. (180.-)); Juss. Ann. Mus. 18.47C. (1811); Dec. Prodr. 

 1. 287. (l»-'4) — ViOLACE.i., Lindl. Synops. 35. (182!)). 



Diagnosis. Polypetalous dicotyledons, with definite hypogynous sta- 

 mens, concrete carpella, a 1 -celled ovarium with narrow parietal placentae, 

 5 distinct sepals, an erect embryo, stipulate leaves, and a capsule with locu- 

 licidal dehiscence. 



AxoMALiKS. The berry of Pentaloba is 5-lobed, but there is only 

 1 style. The ])lants called Sauvagea;, if they really belong to the order, have 

 a septicidal dehiscence. 



Essential Character -Sepals 5, persistent, with an iinliricate a-stivation, usually 



elongated at the hase. Petals 5, hypogj'nous, eqtial or uneiiual, usually witherinj,'', aii<l 

 with an ohlifiuely convolute sestivation. Stamens o, alternate with the petals, occasionally 



