233 



is removed, and that the Tomato is always exposed to heat before it is eaten. 

 The fruit of Solanum Jacquini- is considered by the native practitioners of 

 India as expectorant. The juice of that of Solanum bahamense is used in 

 the West Indies in cases of sore throat. Ainslie, 2. 91. A decoction of the 

 root of S. mammosum is bitter, and reckoned a valuable diuretic. Ibid. 

 The roots of Physalis flexuosa are supposed by the Indian doctors to have 

 deobstruent and diuretic qualities, and also to be alexipharmic. The leaves 

 moistened with a little warm castor oil are a useful external application in 

 cases of carbuncle. Ibid. 2. 15. The common Potato, in a state of putre- 

 faction, is said to give out a most vivid light, sufficient to read by. This 

 was particularly remarked by an officer on guard at Strasburgh, who thought 

 the barracks were on fire, in consequence of the light thus emitted from a 

 cellar full of potatos. Ed. P. J. 13. 376. It has been supposed that 

 Potash may be advantageously obtained from the stalk of Potatos; but it 

 appears, from the experiments of Dr. MaccuUoch and Sir John Hay, that 

 the quantity they contain is so small as not to be worth the manufacture. 

 Ibid. 2. 399. The deleterious principle of the Belladonna has been ascer- 

 tained by Vauquelin to be a bitter nauseous matter, soluble in spirit of wine, 

 forming an insoluble combination with tannin, and yielding ammonia when 

 burnt. Dec. Prod?'. 225. The active principle of Solanum Dulcamara is 

 an alkali, called Solania, which is in that plant combined with malic acid. 

 Turner, 654. 



Examples. The sections above alluded to in this order are the 

 following : — 



§ 1. Solan E,E. The Genuine Nightshade Tribe. 



Corolla with the limb usually plaited. Stamens equal to the number of 

 the lobes of the corolla. Embryo curved much. E. Br. 



Solanum, Physalis, Nicotiana, Datura, Lycium, Atropa. 



§ 2. Nolan E-E. The Nolana Tribe. 



Nolaneee. Reichenb. Consp. 125.(1829). 



Corolla plaited. Stamens equal to the number of the lobes of the corolla. 

 Ovarium divided into 5 or more lobes. Fruit drupaceous. Embryo much curved. 



Nolana. 



§ 3. Verbasce^e. The Mullein Tribe. 



Corolla not plaited. Stamens 5 and unequal, or didynamous. Embryo 

 slightly curved. 



Verbascum, Celsia, Anthocercis. 



N.B. Reichenbach refers the first and last to Scrophularinese. (Con- 

 spectus, p. 124.) 



CCXIV. ACANTHACE.E. The Justicia Tribe. 



Acanthi, Jtiss. Gen. 102. (1789) Acanthace^, R. Brown Prodr. 472. (1810); 



Link Handb. 1. 500. (1829) a sect, o/ Personatae. 



Diagnosis. Monopetalous dicotyledons, with a superior 2-celled cap- 

 sule, irregular unsymmetrical flowers, exalbuminous wingless seeds with 

 hooked dissepiments, and imbricated flowers. 



Anomalies. A singular depauperation of the calyx takes place in the 

 genera Thunbergia, Mendozia, and Clistax, in which that organ is reduced 

 sometimes to a mere obsolete ring, its place being supplied by bracteae. 

 Mendozia is also remarkable for its fruit being a 1 -seeded drupe, with crum- 

 pled chrysaloid cotyledons. 



