NAT. ORDER 



Convolvulacece. 



CONVOLVULUS SCAMMONIA. SCAMMONY, OR BINDWEED 



Class V. Pentandria. Order I. Monogynia. 

 Gen. Char. Corolla, bell-shaped, plaited. Stigmas, two. Cap- 

 sules, two-celled, each cell containing two seeds. 



Spe. Char. Leaves, sagitate, truncated on the back part. Pe- 

 duncles, columnar, with about three flowers. 



The rooi is tapering, and somewhat branched towards its 

 lower part, and, in good soil, oftentimes grows to the length of 

 four or five feet, and from three to four inches in diameter ; it is 

 covered with a bark, of a light gray color, and contains a consid- . 

 erable quantity of milky juice ; the stalks are numerous, slender, 

 twining, and proceed from the root, fifteen to twenty-five feet in 

 length ; the leaves are arrow-shaped, smooth, of a bright green 

 color, and placed upon long foot-stalks ; the Jiowers, which stand 

 in pairs on the pedicles, are funnel-shaped, plaited, and of a pale 

 yellow color ; the calyx is double, consisting of four emarginated 

 leaflets in each row ; the capsules are three or four-seeded, and 

 contain pyramidal seeds. 



This is a perennial plant, and is described as being a native 

 of Syria ; it is also found growing extensively on the chain of 

 mountains extending from Antioch to Mount Lebanon. Recently, 

 however, this valuable plant has been discovered growing wild in 

 this country. In the western part of the State of New- York, and 

 some parts of Ohio, we have seen the Scammony growing in 

 some of the most impenetrable forests; and its luxuriant foliage 



Vol. u— 67 



