LENTIBULARIACEX.— COLUMELLIACEX.—GESNERACEX. 635 
Distribution and Nwmbers.—Principally natives of Europe, 
Northern Asia, North America, and the Cape of Good Hope. 
Illustrative Genera :—Orobanche, Linn. ; Lathrea, Linn. There 
are about 120 species. 
Properties and Uses.—The presence of bitterness and astrin- 
gency are the most marked properties of the plants of this order, 
and some have been said to be escharotic ; but they are alto- 
gether unimportant in a medicinal point of view. 
Epiphegus.—The root of Epiphequs virginiana is called Cancer-root, from 
its having been formerly used as an application to cancers. It formed an 
ingredient in the once celebrated North American nostrum, called Martin’s 
Cancer Powder. 
Order 3. LENTIBULARIACE®, the Butterwort Order.—Cha- 
racter.—Herbs, growing in water, marshes, or wet places. 
Leaves radical, entire or divided into thread-like filaments 
bearing little pouches or air-receptacles. Flowers irregular, 
bracteated. Calyx persistent, bilabiate. Corolla personate or 
bilabiate, spurred. Stamens 2, included; anthers 1-celled. 
Ovary 1-celled; sty/e 1, short; stigma bilabiate; placenta free 
central. Fruit a capsule, 1-celled. Seeds minute, numerous, 
anatropous, exalbuminous; embryo thick, straight, sometimes 
undivided. 
Distribution and Numbers.—Natives of all parts of the globe, 
but more particularly of tropical regions. Illustrative Genera :-— 
Utricularia, Linn. ; Pinguicula, Tourn. There are about 180 
species. 
Properties and Uses.—Of little importance. The leaves of 
Pinguicula and the pitchers of Utricularia have the property of 
dissolving and absorbing insects, and other animal matters. 
(See Physiological Botany. ) 
Pinguicula.— Pinguicula vulgaris is termed Butterwort, from the property 
its leaves are said to possess of coagulating milk. 
Order 4. CoLUMELLIACE®, the Columellia Order.—C harac- 
ter.—Evergreen shrubs or trees. Leaves opposite, exstipulate. 
Flowers unsymmetrical, yellow, terminal. Calyx superior, 5- 
parted. Corolla epigynous, monopetalous, rotate, 5—8-partite, 
imbricate. Stamens 2, epipetalous ; anthers sinuous, with longi- 
tudinal dehiscence. Ovary inferior, 2-celled, surmounted by a 
fleshy disk. Frwit capsular, 2-celled, many-seeded. Seeds with 
fleshy albumen ; embryo minute. 
Distribution and Numbers.—Natives of Mexico and Peru. 
It only contains the genus Columellia, Lour., which includes 3 
species. 
Properties and Uses.—Unknown. 
Order 5. GESNERACE®, the Gesnera Order.—C haracter.— 
Herbs, or soft-wooded shrubs. Leaves wrinkled, exstipulate, 
generally opposite or whorled. Flowers irregular, showy. Calyx 
