638 ACANTHACEA.—SELAGINACEA. 
in the form of an infusion, as a demulcent. In the United States they are 
also sometimes used in the form of a poultice. 
Order 9. ACANTHACES, the Acanthus Order.—Character. 
—Herbs or shrubs. Leaves opposite or whorled, simple, exstipu- 
late. Flowers irregular, bracteated, Calyx 4—5-partite, or con- 
sisting of 4—5 sepals, persistent, much imbricate ; sometimes 
obsolete. Corolla more or less 2-lipped. Stamens 2 or 4, in 
the latter case didynamous. Ovary seated in a disk, 2-celled ; 
placentas parietal, although extended to the axis; style 1. 
Fruit capsular, 2-celled, with a variable number of seeds in each 
cell. Seeds hanging by hard cup-shaped or hooked projections 
of the placenta, without wings ; albwmen none ; cotyledons large 
and fleshy ; radicle inferior. 
Distribution and Numbers.—Chiefly tropical. Illustrative 
Genera :—Acanthus, Tourn. ; Justicia, Nees. There are nearly 
1,500 species. 
Properties and Uses.—Generally unimportant ; but several 
species are mucilaginous and bitter. 
Acanthus.—The species of Acanthus have lobed and sinuated leaves, and 
are said to have furnished the model of the Corinthian capital. 
Andrographis.—The dried stalks and root of Andrographis paniculata 
are official in the Pharmacopeeia of India. They are known under the 
name of kariydt or creyat, and are held in high esteem in India for their 
bitter tonic and stomachic properties. 
Ruellia—From Ruellia indigotica a blue dye is obtained in China. 
Cohort 4. Lamiales.—Flowers generally anisomerous. Corolla 
usually irregular. Stamens epipetalous ; posterior stamen 
commonly suppressed; usually four and didynamous, or 
rarely only two. Carpels or cells each with 1 ovule or with 
2 collateral ovules. Leaves always exstipulate. 
Order 1. SELAGINACES, the Selago Order.—Character.— 
Herbs or shrubs, with alternate exstipulate leaves. lowers 
irregular, unsymmetrical, sessile, bracteated. Calyx persistent, 
usually monosepalous with a definite number of divisions, or 
rarely consisting of two distinct sepals. Corolla tubular, 5- 
partite. Stamens 4, didynamous, or rarely 2 ; anthers 1-celled. 
Ovary superior ; style 1, filiform; ovule solitary, pendulous. 
Fruit 2-celled, with 1 pendulous seed in each cell. Seed with a 
little fleshy albumen ; embryo with a superior radicle. In 
Globularia there is but one carpel. 
Distribution and Numbers.—Chiefly natives of the Cape of 
Good Hope. The species of Globularia are, however, European 
plants. Illustrative Genera :—Selago, Linn. ; Globularia, Linn. 
There are about 120 species. 
Properties and Uses.—Of little importance. 
Globularia—The Globularias are purgative and emetic. The leaves of 
Globularia Alypum form the Wild Senna of Germany. In small doses they 
