10 NAT. ORDER. — ACANTHACEiE. 



lar, within hairy, the whole purplish-blue, prettily variegated and 

 veined with pale marks of the same color, and red and yellow ; an- 

 thers nnd filaments white ; style clavato-acuminate. 



This beautiful plant was found by Francis de Sylva, at Sichet ; 

 and though Dr. Wallick introduced it to European gardens, where it 

 is a great ornament, flowering diu'ing the winter and spring months. 

 The flowei-s are handsome, but in a measure concealed by the dis- 

 tichous foliage, under which they seem to insinuate themselves, though 

 tliey originate in the upper axis of the leaf. The leaves themselves 

 have a striking peculiarity in exhibiting the costa and nei-ves promi- 

 nent on the up2}er side of the leaf, and sunk into the substance of the 

 leaf (the costa excepted, which is slightly prominent), on the under 

 sick. On each side of the nerve, however, on the upper side, the pa- 

 renchyme forms a closely-placed elevated line. 



3Icclical Properties and Uses. The medical properties of this 

 foreign plant have not been regarded by physicians of sufficient im- 

 portance to entide it a place among the catalogue of medicines ; yet 

 it possesses properties similar to the Airopa belladonna, (see Vol. i. 

 p. 23.) It is eaten indiscriminately by horses and cattle, without ap- 

 parently any bad effects ; but, on distillation, it is found to possess 

 slightly narcotic and poisonous properties. 



