CALYCIFLOE^. 541 



Character. — Trees or shrubs, sometimes with an acrid milky 

 juice. Leaves alternate,, on long stalks, lobed. Flowers uni- 

 sexual. Calyx inferior, minute, o-toothed. Corolla monopeta- 

 lous, without scales in the fertile flowers, 5-lobed. The barren 

 flower has a few stamens inserted on the corolla. The fertile 

 flower has a 1 -celled superior ovar}-, with 3 — 5 parietal placentas. 

 Fruit succulent, or dehiscent. Seeds numerous, albuminous, with 

 the radicle towards the hilum. 



Distribution , 4'C- — Natives of South America and of the warmer 

 parts of the Old World. Examples of the Genera : — Carica, Mo- 

 decca. There are 26 species. 



Properties and Uses. — The acrid milky juice of Carica digitata 

 is said to be a deadly poison. The juice of the unripe fruit, and 

 the powdered seeds of Carica Papaya are powerful anthelmintics ; 

 the former being the most active and certain in its action. The 

 fruit, however, when cooked, is eaten. The powdered seeds have 

 a great reputation in Southern India for their powerfully emme- 

 nagogue properties. This plant is said to have the property of 

 rendering meat tender. The leaves are also used in some districts 

 as a substitxite for soap. The juice, according to Vauquelin, is a 

 highly animalised substance, resembling animal albumen in its 

 characters and reactions. 



Natural Order 98. Paxgiace.^;. — The Pangium Order. — 

 Diagnosis. — This is a small order of arborescent unisexual plants 

 nearly allied to DapayaceiP, but differing principally in being 

 polypetalous ; and in the fertile flowers having as many scales as 

 there are petals, and placed opposite to them. 



Distribution, Sfc — Exclusively natives of the hotter parts of 

 India. Examples of the Genera: — Pangium, Hydnocarpus. 

 There are 4 species. 



Properties and Uses. — They are all more or less poisonous. 

 It is said, however, that by boiling, and maceration afterwards 

 in cold water, the poisonous properties may, in some cases, 

 be got rid of, as in the seeds of Pangium edide, the kernels of 

 which are used as a condiment, and for mixing in curries, &e. 

 Even these, however, according to Horsfield, act as a cathartic 

 upon those unaccustomed to their use. 



GynocarcUa ocJorata, Chanlrangra. — The seeds of this Indian plant yield, 

 by expression, a fixed oil. Both the oil and seeds have been empl<ij-ed inter- 

 nally with good results in leprosy, scrofula, certain skin diseases, and 

 rheumatism. The oil and seeds, in the form of an ointment, are also in use 

 in India as external applications in many skin diseases. 



Hprbiocarpus.— The seeds of II. inebnans are commonly regarded to re- 

 semble those of Chaulmngra in Iheir properties. The fruit of H. venenatus 

 is poisonous ; it is employed in Ceylon for poisoning fish. 



