174 ENGLISH BOTANY. 
in the middle of the filament, on account of the long appendage into 
which their connective is produced. erry about the size of a large 
black currant, globular-turbinate, slightly 4-lobed, bluish-black, with 
a very tender skin and a juicy interior, each cell with 4 to 6 small 
dark-coloured seeds with pale bases, about the size of large sago 
grains. 
Herb Paris. 
French, Parisette a quatre feuilles. German, Vierblittrige Binbeere. 
The leaves and berries of this plant are said to partake of the properties of opium. 
The juice of the berries has been used as an ophthalmic. Linnaeus says the roots are 
useful as an emetic, and are equal to ipecacuanha in this respect. Raphides are found 
in most parts of the plant, especially in the segments of the perianth. 
Sus-Orprer I].—ASPARAGEZE. 
Leaves of the perianth combined or free, all similar and generally 
petaloid. Styles united. Fruit a berry. 
Herbs (rarely shrubs or trees) with the rootstock not bulbous, often 
creeping, and more or less thickened. Stem simple or branched, some- 
times twining, with alternate or more rarely opposite or verticillate 
leaves. Leaves with parallel veins, or sometimes scarious and scalelike: 
the functions of the leaves are then performed by herbaceous filiform 
or leaflike branches (cladodia). 
GENUS II—SMILACINA. Desf. 
Flowers perfect. Perianth leaves free or combined at the very base, 
coloured, deciduous, 6 (more rarely 4), spreading or spreading-recurved, 
all nearly similar. Stamens as many as the perianth leaves, and in- 
serted on their base; filaments subulate or filiform; anthers short. 
Ovary free, 3- or 2-celled; ovules 2 in each cell; style single, short 
and thick; stigma obscurely 3- or 2-lobed. Berry globose, 1- or 
2-seeded. Seeds subglobose; testa thin, pale. 
Herbs with creeping slender or thickened rhizomes and simple 
erect leafy stems. Leaves sessile or shortly stalked, striate. Flowers 
small, white, in a terminal raceme or panicle. 
It is supposed that the name of this genus is given to it on account of the pre- 
sence of a alkaline principle, detected by Folchi in the root of the Smilax Sarsa- 
parilla, called smilacine. 
ae 
