124. TJRTICACEJE. 



"Ganja" consists of the unfertilised resinous flowering shoots of the female. 

 "Bhavg" or ^'Siddhi" consists of the dried leaves and fruiting shoots. Bhang or 

 Siddhi is used in making the intoxicating liquor "Hashish'' and the narcotic 

 confection "'Majnm." "Charas" is the resin which exudes naturally on the leaver,, 

 fissures in the stem, and fruits on plants gi-o\A'n in the mountains. Siddhi, Suhjie 

 and Bhang are synonyms and are used with water as a drink. Ganja is used f^r 

 smoking (usuallj- with tobacco). Bhang and Ganja are prescribed by native 

 doctors in bowel complaints and as nervous stimulants. (See also Watt, 

 Dictionary of Economic Products, and Diitf, Materia Medica.) Hemp can only 

 legally be cultivated under licence, but Bhang can be collected from the wild 

 plant. The cultivation of Ganja necessitates the removal of all the male plants, as 

 the narcotic principle entirely disappears after fertilisation. 



To the family Cannabinacese belongs also Humidus lupulus, the Hop^ 



Note.— The Euphorbiacea', usuallj^ placed before the Urticales, have been 

 transferred to a position after the Malvales in view of the frequently dichlamy- 

 deous flowers. 



The Urticacese of the Genera Plantarum have been divided into the four 

 families of Ulmacese, Cannabinacese. Urticacea? and Moracefp. 



FAM. 124. URTICACE^. 



Annual or perennial herbs and undershrubs, rarely shrubs or trees, 

 sometimes furnished with stinging hairs, sap watery. Leaves opposite 

 or alternate, often bifarious and 3-basal-nerved, usually with opaque 

 dots due to cystoliths. Stipules usually membranous, sometimes 

 intrapetiolar. Flowers small greenish 1 -sexual, monoecious or dioecious,. 

 in open or capitate cymes or cymules axillary or at the axils of fallen 

 leaves, or lateral to and at the base of axillary shoots which may be 

 abbreviated, leafless and spiciform. Perianth 4-5- seldom 2-3-merous, 

 tepals free or united. Stamens in the males as many as the tepals and 

 opposite to them, filaments usually broad and flat at the base, in- 

 curved in bud with anthers reversed and later elastically reflexed,^ 

 anthers 2-celled with broad connective, dorsifixed ; pollen spherical. 

 Pistillode usually present. Fem. fl. with usually gamophyllous peri- 

 anth sometimes accrescent and fleshy in fruit, ovary superior 1 -celled, 

 style simple or 0, stigma papillose, plumose or penicillate. Ovule 1, 

 attached at or near the base, erect, orthotropous. Fruit a drupel or 

 utricle, usually enclosed in and often united to the perianth. Seed 

 with membranous testa and oily albumen. Embryo straight. 



I. Hairs (at least those on inflorescence) stinging. Flowers 

 cymose. Leaves alternate :— 



A. Female perianth 4-phyllous or deeply 4-lobed : — 



Hei'bs. Style or stigma ovate or linear finally hooked, 

 sometimes appendaged at the base I. Flenrya. 



Sutfruticose (in our species). Stigma linear, papillose 

 on one side 2. Laportea. 



B. Female perianth tubular 2-3 toothed 3. Girardinia. 



II. Hairs not stinging : — 



A. Flowers cymose 2-4-merous. Stigma penicillate : — 



Herbs. L. opposite. Fem. tepals distinct, unequal . i. Pilea. 



B. Flowers clustered or very shortlj* cymose, clusters often 



spicate. Female perianth tubular :— 

 1. Stigma filiform or linear. Fruit without a fleshy base : — 



a. Stigma not articulate, persistent: — 



Trees or shrubs. Flower-clusters spicate (in our spp.) 5. Boehmeria. 



b. Stigma articulate, deciduous. Herbs (in our spp.) : — 



Stigma filiform. Fl.-clusters axillary. Fl. 4-5-merous 6. Povzolzia. 

 Stigma linear. Fl.-clusters spicate". Fl. 2-3-mei'ous 7. Biitemon. 



811 



