620 GENTIANACEA, 
for the febrifugal bark of Soymida fedrifuga, the Rohuna tree (see p. 509). 
The leaves and wood are also employed medicinally in India. The juice of 
Strychnos Tieuté is the Java poison called Upas Tieuté. It owes its poi- 
sonous properties to Strychnine. This poison must not be confounded with 
the true Upas, which is derived from a species of Antiaris. (See Antiaris.) 
The recent investigations of Planchon have shown that the celebrated 
arrow-poison which is prepared by various Indian tribes in the northern 
parts of South America, and known as Wourali, Urari, or Curare, is essen- 
tially prepared from species of Strychnos. Planchon has also proved that 
different species are employed in its preparation in different districts. Thus 
in the region of the upper Amazon, S. Castelnzana is used; in the upper 
Orinoco region a species closely allied to S. toxifera is the essential ele- 
ment of the Curare; in British Guiana S. tovifera is also principally used, 
but this is associated with S. cogens and S. Schomburgkii; while the fourth 
kind, the Curare of upper French Guiana, is prepared from a new species 
named S. Crevauzrii. Curare has been employed in tetanus, but with no 
very satisfactory results, and also in chorea and hydrophobia. The wood of 
S. colubrina and S. ligustrina, natives respectively of Malabar and Java, is 
employed as an antidote to the bites of poisonous snakes, hence it is termed 
Lignum colubrinum or Snake-wood. Several other kinds of wood are, how- 
ever, known in Asia under the same name. Lignum colubrinum has been 
also employed as a remedy in intermittent fevers, and for other purposes. It 
contains strychnine, and therefore requires much caution in its use. The 
bark of S. pseudo-Quina is extensively employed in Brazil as a substitute 
for Cinchona Bark. It contains neither strychnine nor brucine, and is devoid 
of poisonous properties. It is frequently erroneously called Copalchi bark 
(see Croton for the source of this bark). The dried ripe seeds of S. pota- 
torum are devoid of poisonous properties. They are employed by the Hindoos 
to clear muddy water, hence the name of Clearing-nuts which is commonly 
applied to them. Their efficacy is due to the presence of albumen and 
easein, which act as fining agents in a similar manner to analogous agents 
employed for beer and wine. These seeds are also reputed to be emetic. 
The pulp of the fruit of S. potatorum is edible, as is also that of S. pseudo- 
Quina, S. innocua, and some other species ; and, according to Roxburgh, 
that of S. Nux-vomica is likewise greedily eaten by birds. 
Order 6. GENTIANACE#, the Gentian Order.—C haracter.— 
Herbs, or rarely shrubs, usually smooth. Leaves generally simple, 
entire, opposite, sessile, and strongly ribbed ; rarely alternate, 
or stalked, or compound; always exstipulate. Flowers (fig. 431) 
regular, solitary and terminal, or in di—tri-chotomous cymes (jig. 
435). Calyx inferior, persistent, usually with 5 divisions, or occa- 
sionally with 4, 6, 8, or 10. Corolla withering-persistent, its 
divisions corresponding in number to those of the calyx ; xstiva- 
tion imbricate-twisted or induplicate. Stamens as many as the 
segments of the corolla and alternate with them. Ovary 1- 
celled, or rarely partially 2-celled from the projection inwards 
of the placentas; ovules numerous; placentas 2, parietal (fig. 
680), anterior and posterior to the axis, and frequently turned 
inwards; style 1; stigmas 2, right and left of the axis. Fruit 
capsular (fig. 680), 1—2-celled, 2-valved, with septicidal de- 
hiscence ; or rarely fleshy and indehiscent. Seeds numerous (fig. 
680), small; embryo minute, in the axis of fleshy albumen. 
Diagnosis.—Usually smooth herbs, Leaves exstipulate. 
Inflorescence definite. Flowers regular, solitary and terminal, 
