130 AN ACCOUNT OF THE GENUS ARGEMONE. 



ARGEMONE Tournef. 



Flores 8-meri, receptaculo anguste conico ; sepala 8 conformia 

 sub apicem cornuta et lateraliter parum alata, libera convoluta 

 decidua ; corollae 2, petalis utriusque 8, conformibus convolutis vel 

 imbricatis deciduis ; stamina plane indefinifca bypogyna, jBlamentis 

 filiformibus vel medio (rarius prorsus) parum dilatatis apice subu- 

 latis, antheris linearibus basifixis extrorsum 2-rimosis post anthesin 

 curvatis ; carpella definita 4 (rarissime 3)-6 in germen ovatum vel 

 cylindvico-ovatum vel subfusiforme coalita, placentis nerviformibus 

 oo-ovulatis, stylis brevibus vel brevissimis prorsus coalitis stigmata 

 totidem ovata acuta discreta intus sinubusque stigmatosa cum pla- 

 centis alternantia gerentibus ; matura aculeata (rarissime inermia) 

 placentis stylisque persistentibus, valvis nunc triente summo nunc 

 fere ad basin soluta ; semina plurima globosa testa reticulata raphe 

 parum sed distincte cristata. 



Herbae ramosae srepe robustae annuee, biennes vel raro forsan 

 pereunes (species singula frutex lignosus perennis) glaucescentes ; 

 succus flavus ; folia inciso-pinnatifida (cnicoidea) vel lobata (ilicina) 

 Sfepissime caulibusque spinosa et aculeata vel rigide setosa, raro 

 hispida ; flores terminales vel cymosi, albi, rarius flavi, rarissime 

 rosei, alabastris erectis. 



Species certiores 6, formre distinct® tamen saltem 11, omnes 

 American® ; forma singula tamen late per regiones tropicas sub- 

 tropicasve orbis totius, altera stricte in insulis arcliipelaginis 

 Hawaiensis inquilina. 



The genus Argemone as at present understood was defined by 

 Touruefort, who mcluded in it only one species, which he named, 

 on the supposition that it was of Mexican origin, A. mexicana.'^- 

 This particular plant he appears, however, only to have known 

 through European cultivated specimens ; at all events, those in his 

 herbarium are garden ones. It was first introduced to Europe in 

 1592, and was raised in London by Gerard, who sent seeds or 

 examples to C. Bauliin. It was described by both authors, though 

 Bauhin's description appeared a year before that of Gerard. 

 Bauhin named it Papaver spinosxim,^ a name that indicates with 

 considerable accuracy its natural position, and that possesses the 

 advantage of conveying no misleading geographical significance ; 

 his English friend named it Carduus chrysanthns peruanus,l an 

 expression that merely translates the name "Golden Thistle of 

 Peru," by which it was known to the earlier English voyagers to 

 the AVest Indies, and under which it was brought to Gerard from 

 the Antilles. It may be one of the several plants included by the 

 Mexicans under the name Chicahtl,^ for it certainly is included 

 among those known to the Spanish Americans as Cardo Santo and 

 Figo del Liferno,\\ two terms that cover, after a fashion, the Mexican 



* Tournefort, Elan. 204 (1694). t C. Bauhin, Plajtopinax, 311 (1596). 



+ Gerard, Herbal, 997 (1597). § Hernandez, Histor. 215 (1651). 



Ij For a quaint explanation of this term see Gerard's Herbal; this ex- 

 planation will be found sometimes, but erroneously, attributed to Johnson, who 

 edited a later edition of Gerard, by authors who have not consulted the original 

 work. 



