Daphnales.] 



THYMELACEiE. 



531 



flowers and lobed cotyledons ; the former circumstance seems to bring the Alliance at 

 one point into the \-icinity of Amentals still more than the manifest affinity with Oleasters. 



Natives sparmgly of Europe, and the northern parts of the world, common in the 

 cooler parts of India and South America, and abundant at the Cape of Good Hope and 

 in New Holland. Dii'ca occui's in North America, and Lagetta is confined to the tropi- 

 cal parts of America. Drapetes is a little antarctic plant. 



The great feature of this Order is the causticity of the bark, which acts upon the skin 

 as a vesicatory, and causes excessive pain in the mouth if chewed. Daphne Mezereum 

 is extensively used in medicine. In Germany the bark of the stem and larger branches 

 is removed in sprmg, folded in small bundles, and di-ied for medicinal use. In this 

 country the bark of the root is employed. Its taste is at first sweetish, but afterwards 

 highly acrid. All the parts are excessively acrid, and act as a local irritant poison. 

 Voigt says that it vomits and pm'ges and affects the m'inary organs, and that death takes 

 place from its local operation. As a local u'ritant, Mezereum bark is employed in 

 Fi'ance, under the name of Garou, to produce vesication. In this country it is frequently 

 employed as a topical remedy for toothache. Dr. Withering cured a case of difficulty 

 of swallowing by Mezereum, which he directed to be chewed frequently. Dr. Cullen says 

 he has employed it with success in some cutaneous diseases. Similar qualities have 

 been remarked in D. Laureola, pontica, Gnidium, and several others. The causticity of 

 the Mezereum and Spurge Lam'el are so great that persons who prepare them for 

 medical use often suffer great inconvenience from particles rising and irritating the 

 nostrils while pounding them. The inner bark of the Mezereum creates in the mouth 

 a biu'umg sensation, and if swallowed affects the lining of the oesophagus and stomach 

 in the same maimer. Mr. Squii'e remarks that this effect is followed in Daphne Lau- 

 reola by profuse perspiration of the face, head, and neck, after which the birrning sensa- 

 tion subsides. The bark of the root is the most efficacious part. — Pharm. Journ. 1. 397. 

 The finiit of Du'ca palustris is narcotic, producing effects hke those of Stramonium. 

 That of Daphne cestrifolia, a Bogota plant, is poisonous to cattle, according to ^Mr. 

 Hartweg. The berries of Daphne Laureola are poisonous to all animals except birds. 

 The bark of Gnidia daphnoides, is manufactm'ed into ropes in Madagascar ; that of 

 Dais madagascariensis into paper. From a Daphne the Afghans prepare the matches 

 for their match-locks. A soft kind of paper is made from the inner bark of Daphne 

 Bholua in Nepal. Daphne cannabina is used in a similar way in Cliina. The inner 

 bark of Lagetta lintearia is the beautiful Lace-bark, so called because, when macerated 

 and stretched laterally, it assumes the appearance of coarse lace ; twisted and knotted 

 it was fonnerly employed in making the slave whips used by Negi'o-di'ivers. Daphne 

 Gnidium and Passerina tinctoria are used in the south of Europe to dye wool yellow. 

 In Hernandia sonora the bark, seed, and young leaves are all slightly purgative. 

 Rumphius says that the fibrous roots chewed and applied to wounds caused by the 

 Macassar poison, ensure an effectual cm-e. The juice of the leaves is a powerful depila- 

 tory ; it destroys hair, wherever it is apphed, without pam. The wood is light ; accord- 

 ing to Aublet, that of H. guianensis takes fire readily from a flint and steel, and is 

 used as Amadou. The seeds of Inocarpus edulis are eaten when roasted, and have the 

 taste of Chesnuts. 



GENERA. 



Dirca, Linn. 

 Daphne, Linn. 



Thymelcea, Scop. 



Capura, L. 

 Crj'ptadenia, Meisn. 

 Edgworthia, Meyer, 

 Ilargasseria, Meyer. 

 Piptochlamys, Meyer. 

 Chlamydanthus, Meyer. 

 Nordmannia, Fisch.Mey. 

 Arthrosolen, Meyer. 

 Lygia, Fasan. 

 Mezereum, Meyer. 

 Scopolia, L.fil. 



Daphnopsis, Mart. 

 Schcenobiblos, Mart. 

 Peddiea, Harv. 

 Dais, Linn. 

 Passerina, Linn. 



SMlera, Linn. 

 Diarthron, Turczan. 

 Drapetes, /^am. 

 Pimelea, Banks et Sol. 



Banhsia, Forst. 



Cookia, Gmel. 



Thecanthes, Wikstr. 



Heterolcena, Endl. 



Phyllolcena, Endl. 



Choristachys , Endl. 



Malistachys , Endl. 



Epallage, Endl. 

 Struthiola, Linn. 

 Jenkinsia, Griff. 

 Enkleia, Griff. 

 Gnidia, Linn. 



Canalia, F. "NV.Schm. 

 Lachnsea, L. 

 ThjTnelina, Hoffmans. 



Nectandra, i3erg. 

 Lasiosiphon, Frescn, 

 Linostoma, Wall. 



Eriosolena, Bltime. 

 Diplomorpha, Meisn. 

 ? Coleophora, Miers. 

 Wikstromia , Endl. 

 Lagetta, Jiiss. 

 Funifera, Lcand. 

 Exocarpus, Lab. 



* Hernandie.i. 



Inocarpus, Forst. 



Aniotum, Soland. 

 Sarcostigma, Wight et A. 

 Hernandia, Plum. 



Numbers. Gen. 38. Sp. 300. 



Aquilai'iaccce. 

 Position. — Proteacese. — Thymelace.e. — Lauraceoe. 

 ElcBagnacecB. 



M M 



