201 



as those of Carthamus; others diaphoretic, as Carduus benedictus; and, 

 finally, some partake of all these qualities, as Arctium Bardana, whose seeds 

 pass for diuretic, diaphoretic, and slightly purgative. 



ClCHORACE^. 



These are very like Campanulaceae in their medical and chemical pro- 

 perties, as might have been expected from the close affinity they bear that 

 order botanically. Their juice is usually milky, bitter, astringent, and nar- 

 cotic, as is well known to be the case in Succory, Endive, and even the 

 common Lettuce, but more especially in Lactuca virosa and sylvestris, both 

 of which yield an extract resembling Opium in its qualities, but less likely 

 to produce the inconvenient consequences that often attend upon the use of 

 that drug. Before this narcotic bitter secretion is formed, many of the 

 species are useful articles of food ; the Succory and Endive, for instance, 

 when blanched, and the roots of Scorzonera and Tragopogon, or Salsafy. 



Examples. Leontodon, Bellis, Carduus. 



Since the foregoing was set in type, the last volume of the Dictionnaire 

 des Sciences Naturelles has reached me. In that work M. Cassini has at 

 length given the differential characters of his tribes, and a complete Index 

 of the places in which his observations are to be found. This will render 

 the study of the genera and divisions of this very accurate and learned bota- 

 nist more accessible than it has hitherto been. I do not extract the names 

 of the tribes and their characters, as they would, in the first place, occupy 

 more space than could be conveniently afforded, and, secondly, because they 

 cannot be considered sufficiently settled. 



CLXXXVII. CALYCERE^. 



Caltcere^, R. Brown in Linn. Trans. 12- 132. (1816) ; Rich, in Mim. Mus. 6. 76. 

 (1820). — BoopiDE^, Cassini in Diet, des Sc. 5. 26. Supp. (1817-) 



Diagnosis. Monopetalous dicotyledons, with an inferior 1-celled ova- 

 rium, capitate flowers, half syngenesious stamens, and pendulous ovula. 

 Anomalies. 



EssENTiAi- Character Calyx superior, of 5 unequal pieces. Corolla regular, 



funnel-shaped, with a long slender tube and 5 segments, each of which has 3 principal 

 veins ; glandular spaces below the stamens and alternate with them. Stamens 5, mona- 

 delphous ; anthers combined by their lower half in a cylinder. Ovarium inferior, 1 -celled ; 

 ovulum solitary, pendulous ; style simple, smooth ; stigma capitate. Fruit an indehiscent 

 pericarpium, crowned by the rigid spiny segments of the calyx. Seed solitary, pendulous, 

 sessile ; embryo in the axis of fleshy albumen ; radicle superior. — Herbaceous plants. 

 Leaves alternate, without stipulae. Flowers collected in heads, which are either terminal 

 or opposite the leaves, surrounded by an involucrum. Florets sessile, hermaphrodite, or 

 neuter. 



Affinities. A very small and curious tribe, differing from Compositae 

 in nothing but their albumen, pendulous ovulum, and half distinct anthers, 

 and from Dipsacese in their filaments being monadelphous and their anthers 

 partly connate. They may therefore be considered to hold a middle station 

 between these two families. Richard's monograph, in the vork above quoted, 

 is worthy of the high reputation of that distinguished botanist. 



Geography. All natives of South America. 



Properties. Unknown. 



Examples. Acicarpha, Boopis, Calycera. 



