590 



SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



Fruit consisting of 1 or 2 follicles, or a capsule, drupe, or berry.- 

 Seeds usually with albumen, rarely exalbuminous. 



Fig. 964. Fig. 965. 



Fig. 964. Vertical section of the flower of Periwinkle {Vinca). 

 Diagram of tlie flower. 



-Fig. 965. 



Distribution, Sfc. — Natives principally of tropical regions, a 

 few only occurring in northern regions. Vinca is the only 

 British genus. E-vamples : — Allamanda, Vahea, Cerbera, Tan- 

 ghinia, Urceola, Vinca, Balfouria, Nerium, Apocynum. There 

 are 108 genera, and 570 species. 



Properties and Uses. — The plants of this order are generally 

 to be suspected, as many of them are intensely poisonous, al- 

 though the fruit of some is eatable. Some are drastic purgatives, 

 and in some the bark is tonic and febrifugal. They have 

 generally large showy flowers, and hence form some of the 

 most beautiful of our stove plants; as, Allamanda, Dipladenia, 

 Plumiera, Nerium, Sfc. Caoutchouc is obtained from the 

 milky juice of several species. 



Hancornia speciosa bears a delicious fruit, which is much esteemed by the 

 Brazilians. 



Carissa Carandas also bears an edible fruit, which is eaten in the East 

 Indies where it is used as a substitute fur Red Currant jelly. The fruits of 

 C. ednlis and tomeutosa are also eaten in Abyssinin. 



Vahea num'tdjera, a native of Madagascar, yields a kind of caoutchouc, but 

 that used in this country is chiefly obtained from Siplionia ilastica. 



Alyxia siellala has an aromatic barit, whicli is analogous in its properties to 

 that of Canella and Winter's Bark. 



Tanghinfa venewfera, the Madagascar Poison-nut. — The seeds of this 

 plant are amongst the most deadly o( poisons. It is said that one not larger 

 than an almond will destroy twenty persons. It was formerly used as an 

 ordeal in Madagascar. 



Ncriutn Oleander, the Oleander or Rose-bay. The stem, leaves, and 

 flowers are very puisonous. 



Urceola elaslica is one of the principal plants of the order yielding caout- 

 chouc. It is a native of the East Indies. 



Tahcrnccmontana utilis, the Hya-Hya, or Cow-tree of Demerara, has a 

 milky nutritious juice. 



