392 MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



stuff, in making turmeric paper, as a condiment, especially in curry powder, 

 •and as an aromatic stimulant. The zedoary, (C Zedoraia), is used in Himala- 

 yan India, where it is native, in place of turmeric. Galangal is the root of 

 Alpinia officinarum which grows on the Chinese coast. Another species, A. 

 Galanga is used on the island of Java. 



MICROSPERMAE 



Herbs with endogenous stems, flowers very irregular or in a few cases 

 regular, generally complete and perfect, and parts in 3's or 6's ; ovary inferior 

 •compound; seeds small, numerous, without endosperm. 



• Family Orchidaceae. Orchid Family 



Perennial herbs with corms, bulbs or tuberous roots ; perfect and irregular 

 flowers ; perianth of 6 divisions in 2 sets, the 3 outer similar in texture 

 to the 3 inner petals, one of the 3 inner, different in form and is called the lip; 

 in front of the lip is a column composed of a single stamen, or in Cypripedium 

 of two stamens, and a rudiment of the third ; pollen in 2 or 8 pear shaped 

 sacs called pollinia which are united by little threads. Stamens variously united 

 with the thick, fleshy style into a column ; ovary 1-celled with many ovules on a three 

 parietal placentae; capsule 1-celled, 3-valved, seeds numerous. A large order 

 of about 5000 species of wide distribution, most abundant in the tropics. Many 

 of the plants like the Cypripedium, Angrccuvi and the Catasctuin are culti- 

 vated for ornamental purposes. 



The salep of commerce is obtained from the Orchis masculata. The 

 flavoring material, vanilla, is obtained from Vanilla planifol'ia, native to 

 Mexico and widely distributed by cultivation; this plant contains from 1^ to 

 3 percent of vamllin C^^H^O.^. Other species of the genus Vanilla also fur- 

 nish vanilla but in smaller quantities : these are V. Pompona, V. guianensis, 

 and V. palmarum. Vanillin is also made from coniferin and eugenol, and 

 •occurs in other orchids as Spirant lies and such plants as Spiraea Ulmaria 

 and Lupinus albus. It is used for medicine. 



Orchids contain some alkaloids ; for example, Phalanopsis amahilis con- 

 tains a tonic alkaloid, according to Boorsnis, which is closely related to coni- 

 ferin,C^^VL^_P^. 



Cypripedium L. 



Tufted roots; perennial, glandular, pubescent herbs; leaves large, many 

 nerved; flowers solitary or few; sepals shiny, spreading, 3 distinct or 2 

 of them united into one, under the lip; petals spreading, resembling the sepals; 

 lip of large inflated sac, column declined with a fertile stamen on each side; 

 a sterile petaloid stamen above, which covers the summit of the style ; pollen 

 granular, stigma broad, obscurely 3-lobed, moist and roughish. About 40 

 species, mostly tropical. 



Crypridium parvijlorum, Salisb var. piihesccns (Willd) Knight. Yellow Lady 



Slipper 



Perennial, with leafy stem, 2 feet high, pubescent; leaves oval, or ellip- 

 tical, acute ; sepals ovate, lanceolate, usually larger than the lip, yellowish or 

 greenish; petals narrower, usually twisted; lip flattened laterally, pale yellow 

 ■with purple lines. 



